The World Without
by Lunaludus Scribex
Summary: Tiger Dojo 1 AU/continuation. One refusal does not end the story...nor one casualty, the battles. Even without Emiya Shirou, the Grail War goes on. -IN PROGRESS-
1. Feb 2: Forest of No Return

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source. Indeed, this first chapter is almost entirely text lifted directly from the game, rewritten in third person and adapted for differing points of view, as well as to better fit my writing style.

This story is archived in .txt and .htm format, along with my other works, at my website, The Codex Scribanus (see author profile).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiqutes (provided they fit in my mailbox).

I am deeply indebted to my pre-readers, Kami and Shack, who not only agreed to endure another one of my fics, but to that end allowed themselves to be dragged deep into an entirely new fandom.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

Emiya Shirou stood frozen to the spot.

For the moment, he could only ignore Tohsaka, looking on with concern, and the false priest, looking on with a smirk he could feel.

Masters.

The Holy Grail War.

The fire.

Masters.

The Holy Grail War.

The fire.

The Holy Grail War.

The fire.

Masters.

_A Master caused the fire._

_They want me to be a Master - _

"What's wrong? Will you fight or not? State now, Emiya Shirou."

He didn't even need to ask.

_I can't approve of this. Such dirty killings are wrong._

"I will not fight. I abandon my rights as a Master."

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER I**

**2/2: FOREST OF NO RETURN**

She watched him from the stone-paved plaza as he emerged from the church, much the same as he had entered. Her Master walked on unsteady legs, kept still by sheer force of will; his face was pale, yet there was a determination there that had not been present before.

And - as if in exchange - two of his three Command Spells were gone.

None of this touched Saber's face. "Have you finished your conversation, Master?"

"Yeah. I learned what this Holy Grail War thing is. And taking that into consideration, I decided."

Emiya Shirou took a deep breath, then straightened. "Saber, I will withdraw from being a Master."

As she'd thought. Saber's brow did not even twitch. But why, then, was Shirou here?

"Does that mean you will be abandoning the contract with me?"

"That's right. I'm not fit to be a Master." He shifted uneasily. "And you too, Saber. It would be better for you to form a contract with a proper Master, not one like me."

"True. If I am after a better winning chance in battle, I should form a contract with another mage." What was he doing out here? "Archer's Master should be able to draw out my full potential." If he was going to break their contract, he should have done it from the safety of the church; coming before her was tantamount to suicide. Hadn't the priest told him that -

_The priest._

Kotomine Kirei.

Supervisor of this Grail War.

Master in the last one.

Emiya Kiritsugu's natural enemy.

And Saber understood.

Shirou fidgeted in the silence, then finally spoke. "Then I can abandon the contract now, right? I'll use the Command Spell to cancel the contract, so you will be free."

"...Shirou. I will ask you only once. Will you not change your mind about your intention not to be a Master?"

His response was immediate. "I will not change my mind. I have no intention of killing others."

Words had failed. Action would be necessary.

The raincoat swayed. And in the next second, she darted out from beneath it. Her unseen sword formed in her hands, and she swept Shirou's legs with the flat of the blade.

He stared dumbly up at Saber from the ground. She stared down at him in return, and explained what the priest should have.

"Shirou. A mage who is no longer a Master will be killed by his Servant. No matter how inexperienced you are as a mage, you have called for me, and you have the power to keep me in this world.

"A Servant needs a Master. If you break our contract, I will kill you and take that body. Do you still say you will abandon your rights as a Master?"

Shirou looked up at his Servant. He fixed his gaze on Saber's own - and she stiffened, as she felt a tingling in her mind. _A connection!_

"That's right. Even if I were to change my mind, I can't do it. Not because I only have one Command Spell left - "

A mental link that shouldn't have formed for at least a day - shouldn't have formed at all, given the she could not feel any more magical energy flowing to her - settled into place, even as he sought to break it. _We're **this** compatible?_ It took all Saber had to keep her expression neutral as her Master's words doubled with those in her mind.

"I refused to fight. I refused to become a Master. Having such a person as your Master would only result in defeat."

He stopped speaking, but his words continued to flow into her. _No matter how it came about, my mind gave up. If I have refused battle once, the second time must be the same._

_I would lament, every time I faced danger, that I should not have entered the battle. It would be bad for both you and me to make such a person your Master._

His judgment was correct. Shirou had viewed the field rightly, and reached the proper conclusion. There was nothing with which Saber could find fault. But -

"Then you do not mind being killed by me here? I am unable to become a spirit. If I cannot absorb your soul, your body will face a painful death. You are going to accept that...?"

He laughed weakly. "Of course not. I don't like fighting, but I like being killed even less." He took a deep breath, and glared up at her. "I know it won't help, but I'll resist until the last second and flee."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Saber looked down at Shirou. She weighed what she could sense from their unexpected link. And she realized three things.

First, that even though the priest had sent him out to his death, had he been properly warned, Shirou still would have come to face her.

Second, that nothing she could say or do would sway him from the path he had chosen. Emiya Shirou would never be a Master.

And third - that with him, inexperienced as he was, she would without question have won this Holy Grail War.

"Saber...?"

And knowing that, it would be such a waste for this man to die here.

"I understand. Use your Command Spell, Shirou. It is your decision. I have no right to intervene."

" - huh?"

"Do not worry. It is just the case that I could not establish trust with my Master this time." She retreated a few steps, allowing him to stand. "If you abolish the contract with your Command Spell, I will be released. I should be able to maintain this body for about two hours; I will just find a new Master in that time."

Those words were the trigger. With a flare of light, the third and final Command Spell was invoked - and Saber's connection to Shirou was abruptly severed.

"You are now free. It was a short union, but your magical energy was pleasant." She turned to go, then looked back at her former Master. "I will not see you again...but I shall pray that you safely survive this battle."

If he reached out to her, Saber did not see it. If he called out to her, Saber did not hear.

If he had - if she had - Saber did not know how she would have responded.

He did not, though. And thus, the point was moot.

* * *

It was a silent night. Even though it was past midnight, the town was still too quiet.

It was eerie, Shirou had to admit. It didn't seem like an exaggeration - not with this atmosphere.

"Man, I wonder when it started to be like this?"

But that was obvious.

The Holy Grail War. The secret battle between the six mages was stealing the life out of the town.

His chest began to hurt. The chest that had been stabbed by Lancer only a few hours before was aching. Shirou paused, looked back the way he came, then shook his head. "What good will it do to go back to the church now?"

He couldn't approve of Masters killing each other, true; but if he couldn't overlook it, either -

_I'll think about what I should do once I'm home._

Enduring the pain in his chest, Shirou headed home. He would be able to calm down if he went home, took a bath, relaxed a bit -

But.

'I'll think about what I should do when I get home.'

That thought itself was a mistake.

"Huh - ?"

Like a bad dream, it told him that there was no road ahead of him.

"Oh, I see! So you're alone now, Onii-chan."

Shirou raised his head at the voice.

Under the blue moon - on top of the hill that should have led him back home - there stood a girl and a strange figure.

**-WHOOSH-**

"Gh - "

And they burst. He didn't even have a chance to see it, scream, nor turn and run.

The black giant standing there swung his weapon upwards, and just the sheer force of the weapon moving caused his arm to -

Shirou's terrified shriek pierced the night sky.

_It flew off._

_It flew off._

_My right arm flew off._

It flew off from his shoulder and blood was spilling out like crazy and the road behind him was red like red paint was smeared on it, and bones, bones were sticking out of his shoulder, and...

"Berserker, I don't feel like playing chase, so just squash him."

And Shirou's world went red.

He rolled. Both his legs were bent as if sitting Japanese-style. But they were bent the wrong way, with his legs bending forwards from the knees down.

His thoughts could not catch up to events.

His thoughts could not catch up to events because of the pain.

_Berserker. I definitely heard that._ Then, this monster in front of him was -

The girl giggled. "You're well-mannered, Onii-chan. I know that - it's called assisted suicide, right? My grandfather said that Japanese people are a neck-cutting tribe who die by having their heads cut off while sitting Japanese-style."

He began to pass out.

The girl's innocent voice didn't match this situation.

"Ah...don'..."

He couldn't breathe.

_My lung._ One of his lungs had been blown about fifty meters behind him.

He fell onto the ground, on his back. Both his legs had become like caterpillars. They were broken, and couldn't move.

So he used his remaining left arm to drag himself away -

"Oh, you can still move? But it's too bad. You can't run away now. And besides, it's useless even if you do - because even if you could get away, that body of yours will die in a matter of seconds."

His body felt light. He'd lost over half his blood. It was amazing he was still conscious; his brain was starved of oxygen, and it should have stopped already -

"But don't worry. It's no fun if you die that easily, right? So I gave you a small hand!"

The girl beamed down at him. "Onii-chan, you'll stay conscious, no matter how much it hurts or how much of you gets destroyed, until I crush your head.

"So - even if I do this, you'll still be able to writhe like a living thing."

The giant swung.

And Shirou writhed.

He was crushed.

By the shockwave of the weapon, like a printing press, Shirou was crushed from the waist down. Things that used to be his legs and meat and bones were beautifully turned into two-dimensional objects.

Shirou wheezed in pain.

He couldn't die.

There was only blood left in his head. His body did not function. His nerves wanted to die and escape the pain. But his consciousness would not go away.

His thoughts were still confused. But, wanting to escape this pain -

"You're...wrong. I'm not...a Master...any...more..."

An instant of hope. The girl gasped, as if in surprise -

"Yes, so what?"

- and crushed his hope with an angelic smile.

"Ah...ha." A disbelieving laugh. It seemed appropriate.

He would not be saved, no matter what. He fully understood that he would be killed here.

"Hm, maybe you're small enough for me to pick up now." She reached down, and laughed in delight. "Then I'll invite you to my castle, Onii-chan! I have lots of tools, so let's continue this there."

His senses would not die, no matter how much he was hurt.

They would not die - so rationality froze.

He did not know how much longer his head would last.

But at that moment, Emiya Shirou gave up all hope.

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	2. Feb 2: Enter Ouroboros

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is archived in .txt and .htm format, along with my other works, at my website, The Codex Scribanus (see author profile).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Much gratitude goes to my Endurance: EX pre-readers, Kami and Shack, who have suffered for your sakes.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

"Well, then..."

She laid her hands on the double doors to the church, then hesitated.

"What's wrong, Rin?"

Tohsaka Rin spun around and glared at the priest. "Nothing."

What was wrong, her - !

Kotomine Kirei knew _exactly_ what was wrong. Emiya Shirou, being the complete idiot that he was, had gone out to tell his Servant to her face that he was abandoning her. Kirei, being the underhanded bastard that _he_ was, had let him - and once Rin opened those doors, she would be faced with the results.

She was furious - at Kirei, certainly, but just as much at Shirou, if not moreso. After everything she'd done, after everything she'd squandered - she forced herself not to reach for the drained pendant still resting in her pocket - the idiot still went ahead and just threw his life away.

That _jerk!_

"Rin." Kirei simply watched her for a moment, that same all-knowing smirk firmly in place. When she made no move to respond, he spoke again. "Rin. The Holy Grail War has now officially begun. You are not allowed to come to this church again until the War is over. The only time it is permitted is if you lose your Servant..."

He paused, glanced at the still-closed doors, and grinned. "_And_ if you ask for protection."

Rin's thinly-frayed temper snapped. "Go to hell, you phony priest!" she spat, then threw the doors open and stormed outside.

And stopped dead.

She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting. Servants could feed on human souls, she knew, and in the event of a broken contract, the first one a Servant would seek to devour was his erstwhile Master. What she wasn't exactly sure of was just how a Servant might go about it.

There was the boundary field another Master had set up at her school, but she couldn't picture Saber doing something like that. It just didn't fit her class.

So, she could only wonder. How had Saber killed Shirou? What had she taken? What had she left behind?

She hadn't known what she would see. But the answer she found was...

Nothing.

The plaza was utterly pristine, and completely empty.

"No way."

No body parts. No landscape damage. And no blood.

The Servant of the Sword couldn't be that tidy.

"She let him go...?"

Rin's world turned upside-down.

The sun rose in the west.

The sky was neon green, with mocha clouds.

Her life savings had been sunk into a beach resort in Antarctica.

She wandered home in a daze, neither seeing nor understanding, until she reached the intersection that could, depending on which road you took, lead to both Shirou's house and to her own.

Right up to the point where she absent-mindedly stepped on Emiya Shirou's lung.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER II**

**2/2: ENTER OUROBOROS**

"Is that all right?"

Kotomine Kirei turned to the Servant in blue who'd materialized beside him. "What do you mean?"

"You just said it yourself - the Holy Grail War's started." He looked over at the closed double doors. "So there's no problem if I go and take out a Master now, right?"

"Now that the War's started?" Kirei raised an eyebrow. "And why would I want you to do something like that, Lancer?"

Lancer sighed. "Yeah...there is that. The start of the War didn't bother you much before, did it?" He glared at the supervisor's left arm...and the stolen Command Spells hidden beneath his robe.

Kirei only smiled. "Your former Master was an outsider. She was sent by the Association - "

"At _your_ invitation - "

"And that," he said, ignoring the interruption, "in itself, rendered her an unfit candidate for the Holy Grail."

"_Unfit,_ huh?" Lancer barked out a sharp laugh. "And the little lady who just left is different?"

"She was my pupil. More than that, she's _Tohsaka_ - the head of one of the three families who first summoned the Grail. That, in and of itself, renders her fit." Kirei paused, then smirked. "What's more, I don't know that you'd find her such easy prey."

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone out of her way to avoid showing me her Servant." He smiled. "She knows that I was a Master in the previous War, and she suspects me. You won't catch her unaware."

Against a Servant, what difference would that make? Still...

Lancer sighed. "Whatever you say." Flimsy excuse or not - stolen Command Spells or not - at the moment, Kotomine Kirei was still his Master, and it was Lancer's policy to carry out whatever orders were given. "Too bad about Saber, though."

"Oh?" Kirei looked at his Servant with new interest. "Pity for an enemy, Lancer?"

"Pity for _me._" He sighed again. "I'd have liked to fight her for real, is all. Damn fine warrior, that one; she even managed to survive my Gae B - " Lancer cut himself off so abruptly, he bit his tongue, spurring a torrent of Irish profanity.

_Fight against everyone,_ Kirei had ordered him - using a Command Spell for good measure - _but do not defeat them. Survive your first battle against any opponent._

That was all he needed, for his Master to learn that he'd flat-out tried to kill Saber on their first encounter - not to mention Archer -

"Were you saying something, Lancer?"

Lancer blinked in surprise. He looked at Kirei for a long moment, then shook his head.

"Well, then. In that case, I believe you still have a job to do."

"A jo - THE HELL I DO!" The previous tension was gone; outrage stood in its place. "Are you kidding me? I've already fought two Servants tonight! You want me to go do _another_ one?"

"Look at it like this, Lancer: The sooner you finish scouting, the sooner you can fight them for real."

_Well, when he puts it that way..._

Kirei's robe swayed as a great wind kicked up in the closed room. The double doors slammed open with a colossal _boom_, and a blue blur darted out through them.

Kirei did not possess a particularly active imagination. But even he could almost envision a trail of dust following Lancer out the doors, across the plaza, and up into the sky, and he chuckled as he moved to close the doors and shut out the winter night once more.

* * *

She came to a halt atop a building near the bridge connecting Miyama and Shinto. The wind was biting, this high up, but she paid it no mind.

Saber had no time for such things.

She had not lied, exactly, in describing her condition to Shirou. She had, however, neglected to highlight certain points.

_"I should be able to maintain this body for about two hours."_

The problem wasn't consumption of magical energy. Even while bonded with Shirou, she had not received any energy from him; that wouldn't have posed a problem unless she was forced to use her Noble Phantasm in battle. The dissolution of their contract had no effect on her in that regard.

But when she lost her Master, she also lost her physical link to this world. That was the most important function of the Master: to act as an anchor for the Servant.

Without that anchor, the world demanded the erasure of her alien presence. The Saber class, unlike Archer, did not possess the ability known as Independent Action, so she could only resist that decree with sheer willpower - but that drained her at a ridiculous rate. Every step - every _breath_ - brought her closer and closer to oblivion.

It wasn't that she could retain her body for only two hours. Rather, it was only because of her massive energy reserves that she could stay even that long.

_"I will just find a new Master in that time."_

That was the greater problem. It wasn't as simple as finding a random person on the street and making a contract. It wasn't even as simple as finding a random _mage_ and making a contract.

One could not make a contract with a Servant unless one already possessed Command Spells beforehand - and the only ones who had Command Spells were those chosen by the Holy Grail to contest for its ownership.

That is to say, other Masters.

But this early in the Holy Grail War, the chances of another Master having lost his Servant were almost nil. And no Master would willingly take on a second Servant; to do so would be to split his energy between the two, rendering both half as effective.

Two half-Servants would be no match for one at full power.

That left Saber with only one course of action.

If no other Master had yet lost a Servant, then she would just have to alter that situation. In the two hours remaining before her body dissolved, she would defeat a Servant, then form a contract with that Servant's erstwhile Master.

Of course, to do that, she had to find a Servant, first.

_You Heroic Spirits invited by the Holy Grail, gather here at this moment! For those cowards that fear to show their faces, spare yourself the humiliation that Alexander, King of Conquerors, would deal to you!_

Saber felt her lips quirk involuntarily, even as she shook her head.

Even if she could bring herself to make such a ridiculous challenge, as the last War's Rider had - an unlikely event - and if Servants came in response - even more unlikely - she would then be forced to defeat every Servant who appeared.

If even one Servant remained, that one would strike her down before she could form a contract with one of the newly disarmed Masters. And that didn't even take into account what those disarmed Masters, if there were more than one, would try to do to each other in the meantime.

No, she would have to find a single Servant. Moreover, on this first night of the War, it was no sure thing that any other Servants would be out and about. Most likely, they would be holed up with their Masters - so, within two hours, she would have to find a Master's base, first.

And here, at last, Saber had an advantage.

She was an incomplete Servant. She was summoned, not as a copy of her heroic self resting on the Throne of Heroes, but from her deathbed, all those many centuries ago.

Because she was not yet dead, she could not dematerialize like other Servants. But because of that, when she disappeared, rather than dissolving into nothingness as a copy would, she returned to her deathbed - with her memories intact.

This was not Saber's first Holy Grail War. She knew of the three founding families, who would be most likely to produce candidates for Mastery - and thanks to her original Master's meticulous planning, she also knew of the bases of those three families.

The Tohsaka, who had provided this land for the summoning of the Holy Grail.

The Makiri, who had created the Command Spells to bind the Servants.

The Einzberns, who prepared the vessel into which the Grail would be summoned each War.

One of these three would be her best bet.

Saber looked to the west, then shook her head. The Einzberns' base was a castle deep within the forest outside of Fuyuki City. She knew it well, for her Master in the last War had fought on behalf of the Einzberns...but it was too far away. Even going at her top speed - even if she sacrificed her armor, and used the energy for an extra burst - she would never make it in time. Einzbern was out.

With much reluctance, she had to rule out Tohsaka, as well. Saber liked Rin; the girl was a fine mage, and a fine Master. Forming a contract with Tohsaka Rin would be the ideal outcome - and if Rin had summoned any other Servant, Saber would have chanced it.

But Rin had summoned Archer. And while Saber doubted the magical defenses of the Tohsaka mansion could do her any serious damage, given her class ability, they _would_ slow her down - and that would be more than enough.

The wound she'd dealt him earlier tonight would make no difference from a distance. Archer would pick her apart before she even got close.

That left Makiri.

Saber closed her eyes for a moment, and recalled a strategy session long since past. With an effort, she pushed aside the rage even the mere memory of her Master inspired, and focused on the maps strewn across the table.

The Makiri - they called themselves Matou, now - had built their home not far from the Tohsaka mansion. She could reach it in about five minutes.

She didn't think about everything that could go wrong. The Matou's Master being out, there not being a Matou Master in this War - neither of those possibilities crossed her mind, let alone how improbable it was that she could defeat the Matou's Servant without her Noble Phantasm.

It wasn't a question of probability to begin with.

The likelihood of success was astronomically low...and just as irrelevant.

The only way for Saber to survive to morning was for this plan to succeed.

* * *

Finding the Matou household was easy.

Getting into the Matou household was _too_ easy.

There was a Servant here; Saber could feel its presence. But there were no magical defenses against her; the door wasn't even locked, which she found hard to credit.

When she found no one inside, her instincts started screaming at her.

Every room was empty. It was as if no one had been there to begin with; if she couldn't still sense the Servant's presence, she would have given up.

But there _was_ a Servant nearby, and she couldn't give up; even as the minutes ticked by and she grew ever weaker, she continued to search the dark, barren mansion.

She would almost think the Servant here was Assassin - but that was backwards. Assassin's class ability was Presence Concealment, and even though she couldn't find it, this Servant was doing nothing to conceal itself.

And at last, she found it - a tiny opening, hidden in a nook on the second floor. It led to a staircase, and without hesitation, she headed down, far down, below the first floor, below the ground -

And as she burst in to the basement, Saber stopped dead, and threw her hands over her face to try and block out the stench.

The air here was _rotten._

There was no illumination, yet the room glowed with an unnatural, murky green light. Rows upon rows of crypts were carved out of the walls; open crypts, each filled with a corpse in some stage of decomposition. But not a natural decomposition; worms - tiny black worms swarmed over the bodies, devoured them, excreted them, filled the stale air with filth -

Saber's instincts screamed in warning, but she was slowed by her reaction to the room. She took the kick hard on the side, sending her over the edge of the walkway, and into a teeming mass of black worms below.

The worms scattered as she flipped in mid-air, landing firmly on her feet and with her invisible sword in hand. She scanned the room, looking for any sign of her enemy -

Her hands snapped up in reflex, bringing the unseen blade to block the nail-like dagger that sought her left temple. She turned her body to fully repel the assault, and got her first look at her attacker.

The Servant - it could be nothing else - was a tall woman, dressed in a black shift, with long, pale violet hair. A mask of some sort covered her eyes like a blindfold, but it didn't seem to hinder her in any way.

She took the motion of Saber's sword and used it to catapult herself back to the wall, arching with a grace and ease that belied her gangly limbs. She clung to the wall with her hands and feet like a spider, skittering into the shadows and - _vanishing_ -

Reacting on pure instinct, Saber threw her sword behind her, blocking another nail aiming for her neck. She heard a disappointed grunt as she spun around, only to see the other woman retreat and vanish again -

She ducked a slash - again, relying wholly on the instincts that had seen her through countless battles - and this time, as she watched, she understood.

It wasn't that the woman was vanishing. It was simply that she was moving so quickly, her dark clothes melding into the viridian darkness, that Saber couldn't keep track of her. If it weren't for her instincts, Saber would already be dead four times over -

"What are you doing, Rider? Hurry up and finish her!"

That had to be the Master of the Servant - Rider - coming from somewhere above. But that didn't concern her at the moment. In response to the voice, there had been a twitch - involuntary, minute, but undeniable - in the darkness by one corner. She kept her focus there, even as she carefully didn't look directly at it. This next attack, she would...

"Enough. Stay your Servant, Shinji."

It felt like the air froze at the unexpected voice. For a long moment, no one moved; then, the woman in black emerged from the corner. Slowly, deliberately, she walked past Saber, towards a staircase jutting from the wall that led back up to the walkway, where a young man with dark hair and an arrogant sneer looked down on her. _Rider's Master._

With the threat of Rider lifted for the moment, Saber finally relaxed and looked over to the voice whose source she'd missed in defense of her life.

It was an old man, standing amidst the worms. That in itself was surprising - she understood that it was only because she was a Servant that the worms were not instinctively seeking to devour her - but he was not alone. A young girl stood behind him, also in the worms, head bowed, clearly wishing that she were somewhere else.

"I am Matou Zouken, grandfather to these two," the old man said in a gravelly voice. "And you are a Servant - Saber, I'm guessing?"

She nodded. _Here goes._ "Yes. I am the Servant Saber...and I have no Master."

"Ho? Hmm...so you do not." He squinted at her. "And what business does the Servant Saber, who has no Master, have with the Matou?"

Saber took a breath, and instantly regretted it - she was still not used to the air here. She didn't let that touch her face, though. "As I said, I have no Master. The one who summoned me abandoned our contract, and withdrew from the Holy Grail War. I have come here seeking a new Master."

"I see." Zouken smiled evilly. "So you would have our Master support a second Servant?"

"Of course not." Saber returned a matching grin. "No Master would be so foolish. No, I have come to defeat your Servant, then form a contract with her Master in her place."

"I have no objection." All eyes turned to the Servant who spoke from the walkway above with a surprisingly gentle voice. "Rather, I welcome the opportunity to eliminate an enemy so early on."

Saber raised her sword in response. "We are agreed, then - "

Zouken chuckled, the sound of rocks grating on concrete. "Now, now, let's not be hasty. There may yet be a more profitable solution."

Saber frowned. "How do you mean?"

"This is a most unusual Holy Grail War, Servant Saber. Proper Masters are few and far between, and this War's Caster is making an even bigger mess of things than her predecessor."

Saber's eyes widened. The last War's Caster had been a sadistic, insane Servant who kidnapped and tortured children, and summoned demons to fight his battles. To think that the Grail had actually found someone worse than Gilles de Rais - !

"But I suppose that's only to be expected," the Matou elder continued. "Everyone was caught by surprise this time - the last War was only ten years ago."

Saber inhaled sharply. "Ten years..."

"Indeed. The previous Wars have occurred in sixty-year intervals, so no one was expecting this for another half-century...the Matou included. Indeed, the first we learned of this War was when the Command Spells appeared on the wrist of my granddaughter, Sakura."

"I see. I - " Wait. _Sakura?_

Saber whipped around to stare at the girl, who flinched at the action.

Zouken chuckled. "As I said, it was unexpected. Magic in our family has all but died out. Sakura is adopted; she was given to us to revive our line and strengthen our magic. I had planned on our entrant in the next War being her child or grandchild, but..." He shrugged.

"I don't understand."

"Then I will be blunt: My granddaughter is not fit for battle. I had not raised her with that end in mind. Much like your former Master, she has refused to fight." Zouken shook his head. "It's disappointing, but those are her wishes. Still, she possesses the Command Spells, and with them we summoned a Servant. It would be a waste to squander that opportunity."

_We?_ Saber frowned. Sakura might have summoned Rider, and her brother might be Rider's Master - something she still couldn't quite comprehend - but it was abundantly clear who was in control, here. "I still do not see what this has to do with me."

Zouken looked up at the young man alongside Rider. "Shinji."

"Yes, grandfather?"

"Show her the book."

Shinji's face wrinkled with distaste, but he left Rider's side and descended the staircase. He stopped just short of the landing, looking unhappily at the worms swarming the floor, and held up a small tome bound in red leather.

"That is a Book of False Attendant," Zouken said. "My grandson, Shinji, volunteered to take up the battle in Sakura's stead. That book was created with one of Sakura's Command Spells; it transfers control of Rider to Shinji. While it is in effect, the Command Spells on my granddaughter's wrist are obscured."

Saber nodded slowly. "I see."

"Necessity suggested it, but the method does have its advantages. Primarily, it forces other Servants and Masters to defeat Rider directly." Zouken coughed into one fist. "Shinji is now responsible for supplying Rider with magical energy; however, he is not her anchor to this world. That remains Sakura."

Zouken smiled unpleasantly and nodded towards Shinji, whose face had turned pale. "Should my grandson be killed, Rider will not disappear." He frowned. "However, this advantage is a vulnerability, as well."

Saber understood immediately. "Sakura."

"Indeed. It is not unheard of for Masters to target the family and friends of their adversaries. If Sakura dies, Rider dies as well, regardless of what Shinji does." Zouken looked over at Saber. "And that is where you come in."

"You wish me to act as a bodyguard."

He nodded. "Because Sakura is not supplying Rider with magical energy, forming a contract with you should pose little burden. Should Rider attain the Holy Grail, you will share in the benefits; should Rider fall, you would then have the opportunity to step forth and do battle yourself."

"By way of that Book."

Zouken grinned. "If Sakura so desires at that time."

_If_ Sakura _desires, huh?_ But it was not like Saber had a choice. She needed the Holy Grail; for that, she needed to remain in the Holy Grail War. And for that -

"Very well. I accept."

* * *

_"And...here we are! Cozy, isn't it?"_

_The youth who had once been Emiya Shirou didn't understand her. Rationality had long since fled, along with any sense of self; what remained was an animal intelligence, consumed by the unremitting pain inflicted upon his body._

_"I'm not sure what Kiritsugu used this room for, but Sella and Liz converted it to storage before I got here. Well, anyway - now it's your room! Isn't that great?"_

_Only animal intelligence remained. And that animal intelligence knew with absolute certainty that that cheerful voice meant nothing but yet greater pain, and so whimpered in fear._

_"Kiritsugu was a strange mage, you know - almost not a mage at all. He had a strong Magic Crest, but he almost never used it. His main interest was in killing other mages, and for that, he found modern weaponry so much more useful than magic._

_"But you already knew that, right?"_

_The animal that used to be Shirou only groaned in response._

_"Oh, now you're just being rude! You need to respond properly when a lady's talking! But that's all right."_

_She giggled, and he cringed. "Grandfather didn't like Kiritsugu's philosophy much, but there are quite a few things about it that I, for one, appreciate. For example..."_

_Even if Emiya Shirou had still existed, it would not have helped him with the inscription on the object Ilyasviel von Einzbern held aloft. To the constant aggravation of his Fuji-Nee, Shirou was a middling student of English, at best; the words "Black & Decker Power Drill" would have meant nothing to him._

_The animal that Emiya Shirou now was, though, could easily read the intentions of the girl before him, and he began to thrash in a panic._

_"Now, then! Let's pick up where we left off, shall we...Onii-chan."_

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	3. Feb 3: Somnus Apollus

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is archived in .txt and .htm format, along with my other works, at my website, The Codex Scribanus (see author profile).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Much gratitude, as always, goes to my pre-readers, Shack and Kami, who will probably save enough people to qualify for Heroic Spirit status themselves by the time this fic is finished.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

"He's _what?_"

The Servant Archer stared at his Master in disbelief.

She had stumbled into the house around four in the morning, as out of sorts as he had ever seen her (and he'd seen her trying to get up in the morning, so that was saying something). She didn't say anything to him, didn't give any sign that she even realized he was there - just shambled into the living room, made a beeline for the nearest chair, and from there proceeded to stare intently at the coffee table in front of her.

For the next seven hours.

When he made her some tea, she drained the cup in one gulp, but made no other comment. She didn't remark on his brewing - which was masterful, if he did say so himself - nor did she complain about his once again using her best tea leaves without permission. She just went back to staring at the table, as if it held the secrets to the universe.

Archer had guessed that whatever happened was significant - it had to be, if it could rattle Tohsaka Rin so badly.

But this was...

"Emiya Shirou is dead? Are you certain?"

"There was an arm. At the scene." Rin spoke with a flat, detached tone that was painful to listen to. "The jacket sleeve - it was our school's uniform." She shook her head. "No doubt about it. It was Emiya-kun."

_Well._ Archer looked down at the table, mind racing. Shirou dropping out of the Holy Grail War was shocking enough - but this... _This changes everything._

Rin finally looked up. "Archer?"

"It's a bit surprising, is all." Rin gave him a measuring look, and he had to stop himself from flinching.

On the bright side, it looked like she was back up to thinking. Unfortunately, she was now thinking about _him._

_Need to divert her, somehow..._ "You do realize that it couldn't have been Saber."

She nodded. "Too far for him to have fled, and Saber wasn't the type who would toy with him," she said, and Archer felt himself relax a little.

Rin, on the other hand, had grown more tense. "But that means..."

That meant Shirou had been killed by someone else. Someone crazy enough to slaughter a person who had renounced every sign and benefit of being a Master - and leave a mess behind. Someone like...

Archer frowned. "If there's a Master like that prowling around, this could get very, very bad."

"Unpredictable...and worse, prone to exposure." Rin groaned. "Fuyuki is _my_ responsibility. I can't overlook this, even if it isn't a Master."

"If it is, though, doesn't that fall under the purview of the War's supervisor?"

"That fraud?" Rin snorted. "Even if it is, technically, Kirei's job, there isn't much he can do. Temporarily changing the rules and siccing everyone on a rogue Master would be within his powers...but he doesn't even know who most of the Masters are, let alone how to get in touch with them. Just me and one other, he said."

It would be worse than useless, in that case - even if that one other Master agreed to cooperate with Rin in taking down the rogue, the Masters who didn't know any better would seize the opportunity to strike at those participating in the manhunt.

_What a mess._

He shook his head. "At least we don't have to worry about Saber anymore."

"Oh?" Rin raised one eyebrow. "And how did you reach that conclusion?"

"You said yourself that Saber did not kill Emiya Shirou. Had she done so, she might - _might_ - have lasted long enough to find another Master and persuade him to take her on.

"She didn't, though. And that left her with mere hours, at best. In the middle of the night. With the last Servant having just been summoned. If she didn't ask you - she didn't, right?"

Rin gave him a flat look, and he chuckled. "I had to ask. But that leaves her searching for a needle in a haystack, while the tightrope is burning at both ends. I... What?"

"I'd ask where you came up with a metaphor as jumbled as that...but I have a feeling you'd just say you forgot." She sighed. "Still, that's pretty much what I was thinking, as well. I agree - we're down to five other Servants, now."

"With one at school."

"With one at school." She nodded. "I have an idea or two about that one, but that can wait until tomorrow."

"And tonight?"

"Tonight, there's something else I want to check out."

"I see." He nodded in approval. She was still shaken, but she was starting to look forward, to try to plan for action. She wasn't quite there yet, but... "In that case, I have a suggestion."

She nodded for him to go ahead.

"Rin. You are not a Gorgon." Her eyes narrowed, and he smirked. _One more push..._ "No matter how frightening your face becomes, it will not petrify your enemies - "

And the flames of hell erupted.

**"IF YOU THINK I NEED SLEEP, JUST SAY SO!"**

Rin shot to her feet, knocking the chair over. She paid it no mind. "I was going to do that anyway, you - YOU - " She let out an incoherent scream, and stormed upstairs.

Archer watched her go with a satisfied grin.

That was more like it.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER III**

**2/3: SOMNUS APOLLUS**

Saber woke around noon.

She opened her eyes to dim, murky sunlight, filtered in through tightly-drawn drapes. The mid-day light bathed the entire room in gray, and for a moment, she found herself badly disoriented.

"Ugh..."

Her head hurt. Saber shut her eyes, and gently massaged her temples to relieve the pain. It was a futile effort...but it did serve to jog her memory.

"That's right. This is Sakura's..."

After the contract was completed, Zouken had suggested that Saber rest for a while to recover. He'd faltered only a moment when she was forced to admit that she could not shed her physical form, before suggesting that she rest in Sakura's room.

Her new Master had led her out of that hellish cellar, back up to the second floor, and across the hallway to her room. Sakura opened the door, let Saber in, gestured to the bed, then fled without saying a word.

Saber looked down at the bed. It was big enough for two, if they slept close together, and she had restricted herself to the far side of the bed with that thought in mind.

It seemed to have been a wasted consideration. The sheets were cool and unrumpled; Sakura had not returned that night, nor had she said anything about where she would be instead.

Saber frowned. In fact, now that she thought of it, outside of the words of the contract, Sakura hadn't said anything to her at all. That was an ominous sign - her first Master had not spoken to her either, unless he was using a Command Spell, and that had ended in disaster.

There were differences; Kiritsugu had gone out of his way to ignore her, whereas Sakura didn't seem to speak to anyone. Still, it set Saber ill at ease. She resolved to try to engage her Master in conversation, just to be on the safe side.

_Shinji, too; he is the one most likely to fight alongside me, if Rider is defeated and I see battle._

And speaking of battle - Saber put her hand to her chest, and smiled. She was receiving energy properly from her new Master, and the deep wound Lancer had inflicted the night before was almost healed. She would be completely recovered by that evening.

And with that ascertained, there was nothing more to be gained by staying in bed. Saber stood, and left the room in search of her Master.

* * *

"Oh. You."

Saber looked down at the boy lounging on a couch in the dark living room. Shinji was the first person she'd seen today; the other rooms on the second floor were empty, and she had no intention of going anywhere near that basement again, if she could possibly help it.

She had an unpleasant premonition that it would come to that, though, and her eye twitched at the thought.

"Hmph...some Servant. You slept in pretty late for a charity case."

With an effort, Saber wrenched her mind back to the present. Shinji did not look happy, and she couldn't entirely blame him - it was rude of her to simply stand there and stare at him like that. "It could not be helped. I was near my limits."

"Yes, yes, I heard all that." He leaned forward, and Saber felt a chill run down her spine. "Hmm...now that I see you, though, you're not that bad-looking, are you?"

Saber frowned. "Whether I am good-looking or not has no bearing on my role as a Servant."

"What? No bearing? Of course it has a bearing!" Shinji gestured with his right hand, and Rider took form beside him.

She was even taller than Saber had thought when they clashed in the darkness below; here in this halfling light, Saber could see that her arms and legs were swathed in black sleeves that had distorted her perception before.

_She might be even taller than Shirou._

...Why in the world did she think that?

Saber's eyes widened in shock as Shinji reached around and ran his hand up the inside of Rider's thigh. The Servant in black stood rigid, her face carefully neutral. "_I'm_ the Master, and _you're_ the Servant. It's your job to do whatever I want!"

_Whatever he - ! Just what does he think a Servant is?_ Saber took a deep breath, and reined in her temper. "Be that as it may - you are not my Master. Nor will you ever be, if all goes well."

Shinji scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rider and I were summoned to fight in the Holy Grail War." Shinji was still caressing Rider's...thigh...and Saber had to restrain herself from stalking over and pulling his hand away from the other Servant. "_That_ is our purpose. If she wins out, you will have no need for me."

"Oh, that." Shinji sat back with a frown, and she saw Rider relax ever so slightly. "Yes, the Grail War. Don't worry about that - with me as her Master, Rider will win handily." He made a careless gesture, and the Servant returned to spirit form.

"You should not be so overconfident." Saber's eyes narrowed. "No matter how powerful a mage you might be, the Holy Grail War is - "

"Shut up."

Saber blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said _shut up._" Shinji slowly rose to his feet, eyes blazing. "Mages...the Grail War...power...WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?"

Saber took a step back in surprise. Why was he so -

_'Magic in our family has all but died out. Sakura is adopted; she was given to us to revive our line and strengthen our magic.'_

She felt like hitting herself. "I apologize, Shinji." If Sakura was adopted because of how weak the Matou bloodline was, what did that say about the son born of it? "I should not have brought that up - "

Shinji ignored her. "Oh, you think you know better. You heard them - they all think I'm going to die. Grandfather thinks I'm going to die. _You_ think I'm going to die. _That worthless slut of a sister_ thinks I'm going to die!"

Saber breathed in sharply. "Shinji! That's your sister - _my Master - !_"

"I can almost hear that pathetic whine now. 'Nii-san, I'm sorry! Nii-san, I'm sorry!' Please - like the little whore actually feels bad about this!" He began to pace back and forth in front of the couch. "Well, I'll show her. I'll show them all! _I'm_ the Master! _I'm_ the one who's special! _ME!_"

Saber stared, aghast, as he continued to rant.

"So I don't have Magic Circuits. So what? I'll still win!" he spat. "If I don't have the power for a Servant myself, I'll just get it from somewhere else! You need souls to eat? Then I'll give you souls! _I'll feed you all the souls you could want!_ What does _any_ of that have to do with being powerful? It's so easy - "

"That is not possible."

Shinji stopped mid-stride. "Hah?"

"It is best that we clarify this matter now, while there is still time to rectify it." Even though she was the one speaking, Saber couldn't help but marvel at how even her voice was. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to tear the boy before her limb from limb. "Rider may or may not abide by your plans. That is her prerogative. However, I am a knight. It is a most grievous violation of my oaths to hurt those who are unarmed."

She glared at him, and he stumbled back, sitting heavily back down on the couch.

"If you were to order me to betray my beliefs in such a fashion, you would be forced to use a Command Spell to compensate for treading inside me." She glanced down at the book in his hand. "But that tome is the only Command Spell you possess. You do not have one to spare for such a purpose."

She looked up again, directly into his eyes, and he pressed against the back of the couch with a frightened squeak. "Shinji. I strongly suggest that you reconsider your strategy."

Shinji glared at her from the couch. Saber met his gaze without blinking; after a long moment, he stood up, and stormed out without another word.

Saber watched him head upstairs, then glanced over. "Shouldn't you be following him, Rider?"

The Servant reappeared by the couch. "He cannot sense my presence. As long as he does not leave the house, I will have no trouble catching up to him at a second's notice."

Saber frowned. "You have business with me, then."

Rider nodded, then hesitated.

"What is it?"

"There is...something I wish to ask of you."

"Go on."

"What do you seek from the Holy Grail?"

Saber blinked. It was a legitimate question...at least, it was a legitimate question if it came from her Master. It was necessary for Master and Servant to clarify what each sought from the Grail, lest they reach the end and then find their wishes at odds with one another.

Had Sakura sent Rider to ask this, rather than do so herself? Saber felt a small flash of anger at the thought - it was far too much like Kiritsugu for her peace of mind. "Isn't that something our Master should be asking?"

"She will not." Rider frowned. "She does not wish to be a Master, nor will she act as one."

"I see." She already knew that. If Sakura had a wish - if she was going to act as Master - she would never have given up Rider. "There is no need for her to ask about my wish, in that case. But then..."

"I ask this as a fellow Servant."

Saber flinched. Another Rider had asked her that same question...and the debacle that ensued was among her most profound traumas. She could not think about the question - or the disgust her answer had elicited in him - without also thinking about his Noble Phantasm, which had rocked her very self-concept.

_King Arthur does not understand human feelings._

She shook herself. She doubted this Rider was a king, so why was she asking? "You do not approve of me?"

"It is not my place to approve or disapprove. Nonetheless, I ask."

Perhaps it was some leftover adrenaline from her confrontation with Shinji. Perhaps it was the headache-inducing half-light of the room. Perhaps it was simply the stress from so much happening in so short a stretch of time. Whatever the case, when she finally answered, Saber was perhaps less cautious than she might otherwise have been. "I seek to save my kingdom."

"Your kingdom?" Rider cocked her head. "You are a king, then?" Saber stiffened, but before she could say anything, Rider went on. "No, that is not important. Saber. You say that you seek to save your kingdom. Do you wish this salvation in the present day?"

Saber shook her head.

"I see." Rider looked away for a moment. "That is unfortunate, then."

"What do you mean?"

"You are aware that the Holy Grail grows to greater completion as more Servants fall."

"I am. What of it?"

"Not all wishes are equal. Even an incomplete Grail would be an object of immense power; it should be capable of granting most wishes. For my own, I believe that slaying five Servants would be enough." Rider frowned. "But your wish crosses time, crosses reality - it invites paradox. For such a wish, nothing less than a wholly completed Grail will suffice."

Saber's eyes widened, then narrowed. "We are still enemies, then." How could she have forgotten? The Holy Grail War was a deathmatch, not between Masters, but between _Servants._ Even if only one Master remained - if that Master had more than one Servant...

"No, we are allies." Rider smiled. "Having you guard Sakura is advantageous for me, as well; it was for this reason that I did not object to the old man's proposal.

"But Saber. This is only a temporary alliance. When no other Masters remain, you and I will fight once more - your wish requires it. And I will pit my own wish against you, in turn."

Saber grinned sharply. "If it's anything like last night, it won't be much of a battle."

To her surprise, Rider nodded. "Yes. In hindsight, that was a fortuitous reprieve."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "You saw that, then?"

"As I said...in hindsight." Rider grimaced. "Next time, I shall have to be sure to gag Shinji beforehand."

Saber couldn't help but chuckle at that, and Rider smiled again. Then she turned to face Saber squarely, and braced at attention. "Until that day, though, I will entrust Sakura to you."

_Sakura..._ "Rider, do you know where Sakura is right now? She never came back to her room last night - "

"That is not her room."

"Not her room? What do you mean? She and her grandfather both..." Saber trailed off involuntarily. The room had suddenly grown very cold. It wasn't her imagination; Rider's face had stiffened, and Saber understood instinctively that the Servant was glaring at her behind her mask. More than glaring...she wanted to do something to her - was _restraining the impulse_ to do something to her, and having great difficulty in doing so.

It didn't make sense. Rider hadn't moved, and as far as Saber could tell, she wasn't gathering any magical energy - but the Servant in black was on the verge of unleashing a fatal attack, all the same. Saber didn't know how that was possible, but her instincts were vehemently certain...and just as certain that under no circumstances should she _want_ to know.

Finally, Rider spoke. "I believe she has been in training." She turned away with a violent twist, sending her long hair billowing out behind her, and Saber released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Take care of her, Saber. You will have a difficult time, but I wish you luck, all the same." She dematerialized without another word.

_A difficult time...?_ Saber frowned. "I don't understand."

Rider didn't bother to take form again to give her response.

_"You will."_

* * *

There was no visible sign of Shinji when Saber returned to the second floor. The door to his room was shut, and Rider's presence hovered menacingly nearby; it didn't look like either of them wanted to see her at the moment.

That suited Saber just fine. She would need to completely rethink her approach with Shinji...and she had a feeling Rider really _would_ attack her, if they encountered each other again so soon.

A soft _thump_ drew Saber's attention, and her eyes widened. "Sakura."

Her Master slumped against the wall by the stairs to the basement, nearly doubled over, and clutched one arm. Her face was flushed, and she was gasping for breath.

_"Sakura!"_

"Huh?" Sakura slowly looked up with a dazed expression. "Sa...ber...?"

"Sakura, are you all ri - " Sakura cocked her head, and Saber stiffened. "I apologize, Master. It was rude of me to presume to address you by your..."

"No...it's all right..." She paused for breath. "'Sakura' is fine."

"I see. Thank you for your gracious - no, that's not it! Sakura, are you all right?"

"I'm...fine."

Saber eyed her skeptically. "Please stand upright before you tell me that."

Sakura looked down. "This is just...training."

"And do you always train all night?"

Sakura opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out; she teetered, then began to tip sideways. Saber grabbed her arm to steady her, but Sakura flinched back from the contact.

"Sakura!"

"I'm not...a Matou...not by blood." Sakura was breathing heavily by this point. "It can't be...helped..."

_It can't be helped?_ Saber frowned. She knew a mage's training was harsh - she couldn't have put up with Merlin for as long as she had without learning at least that much just by osmosis - but Sakura was on the verge of collapse. And she was implying that it was _always_ like this?

No, that wasn't important now. "You should rest." Sakura's training could wait; her immediate well-being was a far greater consideration. "Come, I'll help you to your room."

"My room?" Sakura looked blankly at Saber for a moment; then her eyes widened in comprehension, and she tried to pull away. "No...I shouldn't. I'm..."

"Master. Please."

Sakura's face dropped. She stiffened when Saber took her arm again, but she didn't try to pull away, and she didn't resist as Saber led her to her room.

It didn't get any easier once they were safely inside and Saber shut the door behind them. Sakura made no move towards the bed or the closet or anywhere else; she just stood there, lost, in the middle of the room.

Saber had to prod Sakura towards the bed...then had to stop to undress her, when Sakura made to lie down in her clothes. She stripped Sakura down to her underwear, then ran into the next problem - there were no pajamas.

None in the dresser. None in the closet. None in the hamper in the corner. None lying on the floor. No pajamas, anywhere. "Sakura, where..." Sakura just stood there in her bra and panties - head bowed and shame radiating off her in waves - and Saber couldn't finish the question. She ended up tucking Sakura into bed in her underwear.

Saber picked up Sakura's clothes, and frowned. White blouse, tan vest, red ribbon and a dark skirt. It was very similar to what Rin had been wearing under her long coat, and there were two or three identical outfits hanging in the closet. _A uniform of some kind?_

Probably a school uniform, given her Master's age. Sakura wearing the same uniform as Rin was alarming; it suggested frequent proximity, and that would offer many opportunities for Archer's Master to do mischief. But Saber had noticed something else, as well: While there were other outfits hanging in the closet, they were stiff and unrumpled, and almost all of them still had price tags attached.

It was almost as if the other clothes were just for show - the only thing Sakura seemed to wear was the uniform. That implied a few things about Sakura's routine; still, Saber would have to ask to make sure.

_Not now, though._ Saber put the dirty clothes in the hamper, then took a seat opposite the bed.

"Saber?"

Saber blinked. She'd thought Sakura was already asleep. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I will keep watch over you here." Saber smiled. "Rest easy; no harm shall come to you while you slumber."

Saber could almost hear Sakura blink, and that bothered her for some reason. "Why?"

"Have you forgotten? You are my Master, now. Your well-being is first and foremost."

"Because you're my Servant."

"That is correct."

"Even though I don't...?"

"I understood that when I agreed to contract with you." Saber got up and walked over to the bed. She took Sakura's hand in her own, and her Master's eyes widened. "My objective is to obtain the Holy Grail. Under this arrangement, that does not necessarily entail you entering the field of battle. If you do not wish to fight, then I will be your shield, and advance toward my goal by protecting you."

She squeezed Sakura's hand. "And if you do choose to fight, then I will be your sword, and put all your enemies under your feet."

Sakura's face went pale. "But I don't _want_ - "

"It is your choice, Sakura. I shall abide by whatever decision you make." Saber frowned. "But...you are a mage. Is there truly nothing you desire? No wish that the Holy Grail might grant for you?"

"I...no." Sakura looked away. "I already have...everything I should want."

"Very well." It hadn't escaped Saber's notice what, exactly, Sakura had said - but she was a Servant. It wasn't her place to interfere. "You should rest now."

Two stomachs chose that moment to growl in harmony. Saber felt her face turning red, and she could see Sakura blushing, as well. "...Or food might be an option. I'm not much of a cook, but should I see if your brother or grandfather - "

She cut herself off at Sakura's look of open alarm.

"Well. Let us rest first, then."

* * *

_"Good morning, Onii-chan!"_

_The cheerful greeting was met with a pitiful whine. The sun shining through the window was the only thing that marked the passage of time, but neither that nor the voice of Ilyasviel von Einzbern had awakened the mutilated animal who was once Emiya Shirou. There was a very simple reason for this:_

_Shirou had been awake the entire time._

_He could not lose consciousness. That kept him from dying, or even from passing out - but it also prevented him from sleeping._

_"Oh, that's right." Ilyasviel snapped her fingers. "It's too late for that greeting, now. I should have said 'Good afternoon,' right?"_

_Shirou watched her with frightened eyes._

_"I'm sorry I didn't come by earlier. But we had so much fun last night, I couldn't sleep - I just woke up!"_

_She giggled. "Well - what should we play today? I was thinking we could use the car battery, or maybe the acid..."_

_Shirou groaned._

_"My thoughts exactly. It's too early for those. So let's go with this!"_

_She donned a pair of plated goggles...then picked up a blowtorch. She'd just switched it on, producing a blue flame barely visible in the sunlight, when -_

_"Ojou-sama! Ojou-sama, where are you?"_

_Ilyasviel groaned. She shut off the torch, and set it down. "I'm in here, Sella. What is it?"_

_A maid appeared in the doorway. She was dressed all in white, with an oddly-shaped hood covering her hair. She had red eyes, like Ilyasviel, and a stern expression. "Ojou-sama, in the forest there's - " She stopped short. "What in the world are you wearing?"_

_"Wearing?" Ilyasviel reached up to her face, and gave a start as she touched the goggles she'd forgotten to take off. "Oh, these! Um, don't worry about them. You were saying?"_

_The maid frowned, but continued. "There's an intruder in the forest, Ojou-sama. They're headed straight for the castle, and at this speed, it has to be - "_

_"A Servant, yes, I know."_

_"Ojou-sama?"_

_"I knew the moment Lancer entered the forest. He's in a hurry to die, but that's all right. He shouldn't get here for a while, yet."_

_"Get here - " The maid's eyes widened. "Ojou-sama, are you saying you'll let Lancer **into the castle?**"_

_"Why not?" Ilyasviel smiled evilly. "It'll be harder for him to get away, that way."_

_"Ojou-sama! If you let Berserker loose inside the castle..."_

_Ilyasviel frowned, and looked over at Shirou. He shied back at her gaze._

_"Ojou-sama!"_

_"I know, I know. 'Business before pleasure,' right?" She sighed, then reached up and pulled off the goggles. "I have to go now, Onii-chan. But don't worry - I'll be back to play some more before you know it!"_

_She followed the maid to the door, then turned back and waved._

_"See you later!"_

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	4. Feb 3: Hades

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is archived in .txt and .htm format, along with my other works, at my website, The Codex Scribanus (see author profile).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Much gratitude, as always, goes to my pre-readers, Kami and Shack, who continue to demonstrate that you don't need sorcery to pull off a miracle.

For progress reports on this and my other works (among other things) I maintain a LiveJournal. Its address, like that of my site, can be found in my author profile.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

The trees flew by in a blur. Trunk to the left, trunk to the right, duck this branch, hurdle that bush -

An ear-splitting roar shook the forest behind him, and Lancer cursed. "Persistent little...!"

He pivoted left around a particularly thick grove, and snorted in bleak amusement. That was probably the first time, either here or in ancient Greece, that anyone had ever used the word "little" in speaking of Berserker.

_Hercules. The girl summoned fucking HERCULES._

Lancer had burst out of the forest into the clearing around the Einzbern castle, and found Master and Servant awaiting him outside. The sheer size of the brute took him aback, but he went ahead and engaged anyway.

In retrospect, that was a mistake.

Only the swiftest of Heroic Spirits were summoned as Lancer - and Cu Chulainn stood out even among that select company - so he'd figured that he would run circles around his larger opponent...but Berserker was nearly as fast as he was. Lancer came within an inch of losing his head in the first pass, and spent the next five minutes dodging one massive, impossibly quick swing after another, while the overconfident little brat regaled him with the true identity of her Servant (interspersed with increasingly gory predictions of his impending demise).

Things improved somewhat once he finally wised up and pulled back into the forest. Berserker followed, of course, but he couldn't move as readily with all the trees in the way; the smaller Lancer was able to dart in and out, punching hole after hole in the gray flesh, then escaping before the giant could bring his hunk of edged rock to bear.

...At least, that was the theory.

The "obstructing the giant" part worked beautifully.

The "dart in and out" part was perfect.

The "punching holes" part...

It probably would have helped if his spearhead could _break the monster's fucking skin._

It was a Noble Phantasm. It had to be. There was simply no other way to explain Gae Bolg skittering across the skin and off to the side every time he thrust it!

Unfortunately, that meant that Lancer's favorite Noble Phantasm was out of the question. The cursed lance would always strike the heart, no matter where it was thrust...but that only ensured the location. Actually piercing the armor - or the skin, in this case - was up to the Servant, and a hundred thrusts had yet to yield even a single drop of demigod blood.

That hurt his pride, but he hadn't dwelled on it long. His favorite Noble Phantasm was out of the question...but that wasn't his _original_ Noble Phantasm. Gae Bolg was a spear, after all - and spears were meant to be thrown.

It wasn't as precise, but it was a hell of a lot more powerful. Surely, Lancer had thought, even Hercules couldn't repel that!

Lancer bounded over a high root, and unleashed a fresh torrent of profanity as the giant behind him bellowed out another challenge.

No, Berserker hadn't repelled it. Lancer had found a particularly high clearing, leaped up almost out of the forest, and let loose the Lance of Death Flight. Berserker hadn't dodged. The resulting explosion had rocked the forest - and when the light cleared, there was a gaping hole in the giant's chest, the size of a basketball.

And then, while Lancer was busy admiring his handiwork, Berserker had very nearly cleaved him in two.

"How?" Lancer spat, clutching his side as he sprinted through the woods. The blade hadn't actually touched him, but just the sheer force of the swing had sent him flying. His ribs were at the very least badly bruised, and it wouldn't have surprised him at all if some were broken. "How the hell is he still alive? I know I killed him. _I could see the tree behind him through the hole in his chest!_ So how - "

_"Yes, that was quite a surprise."_

Lancer stumbled and very nearly lost his footing at the unexpected mental voice. "Kotomine!"

_"I did not think there would be even one Servant capable of surviving your Noble Phantasm in this War."_ Kotomine Kirei sounded disinterested, as always. Lancer knew better by now. _"For that to be the case with every single Servant you've encountered thus far is remarkable."_

"You were watching that?"

_"Of course. I have watched every battle you've fought in this War, through your eyes."_ Kirei paused, and Lancer could almost hear him frown. _"For Berserker to have survived that...no, given the damage, he must have been_ resuscitated. _That would make his Noble Phantasm regenerative in nature. Truly, a fearsome enhancement for a Berserker."_

"Tell me about it. I - wait." Lancer's eyes narrowed. "You were watching me against Archer and Saber, too?"

_"Naturally."_

"And you saw me use Gae Bolg against them?"

_"What are you...ah, my orders. I see."_ Kirei chuckled...and said nothing.

Lancer flew through a pack of wild dogs, ignoring their jaws snapping in vain at his heels. "Well?"

_"You sell yourself short, Lancer."_ The fraud chuckled again. _"Your bestial senses are more than worthy of your legend - or did you think that I would have tasked just any Servant with what I've asked of you?"_

Lancer frowned. "Still not seeing the connection, here."

_"When I ordered you not to defeat any of your enemies during your first encounter, you do recall that I used a Command Spell, do you not?"_

Lancer didn't bother to dignify that with a reply.

_"True, the command was broader than would be ideal - but if you had truly sought the downfall of these adversaries, it would have at least hampered you somewhat."_

"But I've never felt any..." Lancer trailed off, eyes widening. _Wait a minute._

_"Precisely. You brought Gae Bolg to bear against Archer, Saber, and Berserker, and the Command Spell never made so much as a peep. Why? Because you knew, even if you had not consciously realized it, that your Noble Phantasm would not kill them."_

If he hadn't been running for his life at the moment, Lancer would have stopped dead, mouth agape. As it was, he barely noticed when, rather than going around the next tree, he went _through_ it, leaving behind a shower of timber and splinters. "And just when were you planning on sharing that with _me?_"

This was ridiculous. What kind of a Master was he stuck with? It was as if Kotomine didn't intend to win at all. He wasn't using Lancer to fight the Holy Grail War, he was using him as -

_"Well done, Lancer. Truly, your abilities as a scout are unmatched."_

That.

"**Go n-ithe an cat thu is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat**, you spendthrift coward! If I ever get free of you, I swear I'm going to shove Gae Bolg so far up your - "

Kirei only laughed. _"Keep up the good work,"_ he said, then left Lancer to the forest, Berserker, and a blinding certainty:

Kotomine Kirei was, bar none, the worst Master ever.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER IV**

**2/3: HADES**

She was the worst Master ever.

The knowledge hammered at her again and again, like a physical blow; for all that the thoughts were her own, it didn't make the litany any less painful. It was almost enough to make Sakura flinch...but that would have betrayed her wakeful state to Saber.

_I can't even do something as simple as go to sleep, like she asked._

She might have nodded off uneasily, for a bit - she wasn't sure - but for the most part, she'd lain there awake, perfectly still, pretending to rest. Saber hadn't noticed the deception.

Sakura was very good at deceiving.

_Evil. Disgusting._

It was the training. Her grandfather's worms had left her body wracked with hunger; even the fleeting contact with Saber earlier had set her nerves on fire, and they had yet to settle.

_Even a Servant. Even a _woman. _I'm as bad as Nii-san says._

She would have to hide it. The alternative - letting such a proud warrior as her Servant learn the true depths of the woman she'd enslaved herself to - was unthinkable. It was almost as bad as the idea of Senpai learning -

Sakura's blood turned to ice.

_Senpai._

How could she have forgotten something so important?

The entire reason her grandfather had allowed her to stay near the son of Emiya was to spy on him - first, to see what he knew of the Holy Grail War (nothing, it had turned out) and then afterwards, to monitor him...just in case.

And that "just in case" was looking more and more likely. If the wound on his hand was what she feared - if Senpai had, indeed, become a Master - then as long as Sakura was a Master as well, they were enemies.

That was why she'd given up Rider to begin with!

_What was I THINKING?_

As soon as she got close to him - and she would; she couldn't bear to stay away - their Command Spells would react...and even if she could find some way to conceal them, there was no way to conceal _Saber_. She couldn't dematerialize - and even if she could, it would make no difference. As soon as it sensed her presence, Senpai's Servant would attack.

Sakura would be exposed. Senpai would learn everything - her identity as a mage, her role as a spy, all of it - and that would be the end. She would never again be welcome in his home. The light that had saved her four years before would be snuffed out forever.

She couldn't let that happen. But what was she going to do? How could she -

The door to her room slammed open with such force that it almost shut again on the rebound, and Sakura flinched in spite of herself.

"_Sakura!_" Her brother stormed into the room, rough as always. "What are you doing in here? You should be - "

He cut off with a strangled gasp, so abruptly that Sakura couldn't help but open her eyes. Shinji stood in place, eyes wide, glaring at her...no, not at her, for once. He was glaring at the one who stood between them.

Saber.

"_You - _" Shinji's voice turned into a panicked squeak, and his face flushed with anger. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started again. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"This is my Master's room. She is resting at the moment." An alarm went off in the back of Sakura's mind. Saber's voice was even, in complete control - and very suspicious, to the ears of one so accustomed to hiding things. She looked from her lethally calm Servant to her brother, shaking with rage. _What happened between them?_

Saber went on. "Rather, that is a question I should be asking of you, Shinji. Why are you here? Do you have some business with her?" She glanced at the door. "It must be quite urgent, with the way you barged in here."

"I..." Shinji trailed off, and turned to glare directly at Sakura for the first time. Sakura met his eyes directly, even as she fought to contain her trembling.

She knew what the reason for her brother's presence had to be. What it always was.

It was the only use she had, after all.

Saber glanced back, and her eyes widened slightly when she saw Sakura sitting up. "I see," she murmured, then turned back to Shinji. "In that case, come in."

Sakura and Shinji both froze. She hadn't just...

Saber walked past Shinji to the door, and Sakura was flooded with a disappointed relief as she heard the door shut completely.

She had.

She'd left them alone.

Sakura looked down as her brother approached. _And so it begins._

It was nothing new, after all. She would resist at first, but it would only be a token effort; her treacherous body would surrender all too readily, given the slightest push...and her brother's pushes were far from slight.

At least Saber wouldn't be here to see the true face of her Master. That, at least, Sakura could hide for a while longer -

She looked up again, and her breath caught in her throat. Shinji stood just a couple of feet from her bed, halted by the hand on his shoulder.

Saber's hand.

_She was still in the room._

Sakura's eyes darted to the door - it was shut - then back to her Servant, uncomprehending. _What...why..._

Saber looked from Sakura to Shinji. "Please, do not mind me." She released Shinji's shoulder, and retreated a few steps to lean against the wall. "I am here merely to guard my Master from any attacks." Was it Sakura's imagination, or had Saber put a little extra emphasis on that last word? "I will not interfere with you otherwise." Her eyes narrowed, and she favored Shinji with a thin smile. "There is no need to hold back on my account. Finish your business quickly, and let my Master get back to her rest."

Sakura's eyes widened even further.

Shinji was trapped. There was no way for him to retreat, after Saber had drawn him in - and doing what he had actually come here for was out of the question. It was as if she had known...

_No._ Shinji glared helplessly at the Servant. She looked back with a calculating, increasingly hostile gaze - and Sakura realized.

Saber hadn't known - not for certain. She'd suspected something, though...and Shinji had just confirmed it through his inaction. And now, Saber would...

_This is bad._ Where was Rider? _This is very bad._ If Saber took it into her head to harm her brother, Sakura didn't think she would be able to stop her -

Shinji finally wrenched his gaze away from the Servant with a visible effort, and turned to Sakura with a venomous look. "Rider and I are going out," he managed through clenched teeth. He started to say something more, but hesitated, then glared at Saber again before stalking out of the room.

_What was that?_

Saber muttered something under her breath that Sakura didn't quite catch. She shook her head, then turned back to her Master. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura stared at her, bewildered.

_Why?_ Why had Saber done that? He wouldn't have killed her, and Saber should have known that; he wouldn't even have harmed her...not in any permanent fashion, at least.

"...Sakura?"

She didn't know. She couldn't know - not the details, anyway. Yet, just now, Saber had been all too ready to end her brother's life.

"Sakura, what is wrong? Was Shinji - "

"It's nothing," Sakura said hurriedly.

Hiding the truth from Saber had just taken on a new level of importance. Even more than what her Servant thought of her - _I can't let her do that. No matter what._

"It's nothing...at all."

* * *

Shinji was almost to his room before he could bring himself to slow down. His heart was racing; he could still feel those evil green eyes beating into him, through the closed door and the walls of the hallway.

"_Damn_ her!"

He struck the wall in frustration. _It's all_ her _fault. Everything's gone wrong since she came here!_

He bowed his head, and took a slow breath. "Rider!"

He looked up - and jumped back, Rider's face mere inches from his own. "You - Why - Don't - _Where were you?_" he finally screamed. "I could have been killed back there!"

Rider looked at him, and slowly cocked her head. "You were in your sister's room, were you not?"

Shinji felt the blood rush to his face. He glared at the Servant. There was something in that expressionless masked gaze..._Amusement?_ His anger boiled over - and without thinking, he lashed out.

His fist struck Rider squarely on the cheek. Her head turned with the blow. But she gave no other response, and Shinji's rage flared even hotter.

Rider was a Servant. He understood that. There was nothing he could do to harm her; she was stronger than him, by far. And yet - though he knew he had done nothing to merit it - she was in his power.

The humiliation burned in his gut. He was an impostor, however fervently he wished it were otherwise, and everyone knew it. Yet they were pretending he was a real Master - humoring him, like a petulant child! It was almost unbearable.

But it was far from unfamiliar.

It was the same. It was _exactly_ the same. The Holy Grail War was nothing more than a continuation of the hell that had been Shinji's life since the day he discovered the basement and learned the truth. If he squinted, he could even imagine that Rider's hair was the same darker shade as his stepsister's.

And three years of Sakura, true heir to the Matou, had taught him precisely how to deal with that.

He grabbed Rider's hair, and pulled her head down, forcing her to look up at him with a surprised grunt. "What kind of dog leaves her Master alone with another Servant?" He jerked her by the hair again, forcing her neck to contort in an uncomfortable direction. "You're as useless as your summoner!"

She showed no sign of pain or unease. "My apologies." Her voice was as calm and unaffected as ever.

Shinji's mouth twisted. He shoved her roughly away - noting in disgust how she managed to keep her footing without difficulty - then opened the door to his room. "We're going out," he snarled over his shoulder. "I certainly hope you're better at fighting Servants than you are at protecting me!"

_Damn her, damn Sakura, and damn each and every Servant in Fuyuki!_

* * *

Saber stared at her Master in exasperation.

Sakura hadn't gone back to sleep after Shinji left. For a long, long time, she didn't say anything, didn't even move; if it weren't for a slight tremor in her breathing, Saber would have thought she'd fallen asleep sitting up.

When Sakura finally moved, it was to go to the closet, and draw out, as Saber had suspected, one of the uniforms that were so similar to Rin's. When Saber asked, Sakura readily confirmed that it was indeed a school uniform.

When Saber asked about Sakura's routine, though, that cooperation came to an abrupt end. Sakura was in the school's archery club - Shinji was the vice-captain - but that was all Saber could get out of her. Sakura was reticent, evasive, and clearly worried about something, though Saber couldn't even begin to guess what.

With that line of questioning thoroughly exhausted, Saber asked instead about the evening meal. Sakura quietly demurred, saying that she would be going over to the house of a schoolmate and making dinner there.

And that was where things went very, very wrong - because, no matter how Saber argued, Sakura was adamant about leaving her Servant at home.

"Sakura..." Saber closed her eyes, and quickly counted to ten. It didn't help much. "Sakura, you are being unreasonable. I cannot protect you unless I am with you."

"I don't _need_ to be protected from Senpai," Sakura snapped with surprising vehemence.

"That is something I must judge for myself," Saber said...and immediately knew that she'd made a mistake. Sakura's eyes narrowed, and her fists clenched; it was the most animated Saber had yet seen her Master, and she wondered at the cause.

"Saber - "

"But even if that were true," Saber quickly went on, "there is still the matter of the other Masters."

"But I don't need to worry about the other Masters!" Sakura held up her naked left hand. "I made a Book of False Attendant, so Rider's Command Spells are - "

"Rider's Command Spells." Saber grabbed Sakura's other hand, and pulled it up to eye-level, exposing the Command Spells on her wrist. "Not mine."

Sakura's mouth twisted in a disappointed grimace, and Saber's eyes narrowed. _She already knew that. What does she think she's playing at?_ "If you draw close to another Master, the Command Spells _will_ react."

Sakura opened her mouth, but Saber talked right over her. "And do not tell me that you will not run into any. The Holy Grail War has begun; Shinji and Rider have ventured forth, and there is no reason not to expect the other Masters to do so, as well."

"Even if he - " Sakura stopped, shook her head, and started again. "If you go out dressed like that, _everyone_ will know I'm a Master, even without getting close enough for the Command Spells to react."

"That is easily solved."

That caught Sakura off guard. "Eh...?"

Saber walked over, and threw the closet doors open. "You never wear any of these clothes," she said, carefully ignoring her Master's slight flinch. "We are almost the same height; they should fit me with little difficulty."

"But..." Sakura trailed off helplessly, wide-eyed and trembling.

This was getting them nowhere. "Sakura, why are you so resistant to my accompanying you? If you would just explain your reasoning - "

"_No!_" Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and went to her knees, shivering violently.

"Sakura!"

Sakura wasn't listening to her. Her eyes darted wildly around the room, never resting any one place for even a second - then she gasped in surprise, and looked down at her hands.

Saber felt a chill run down her spine as Sakura raised her right hand, and looked at the three Command Spells on her wrist. _She wouldn't - !_

Saber's mind raced. Sakura's eyes had taken on a stern cast; she was about to use her first Command Spell for such a -

_The Command Spell!_

"That would be extremely ill-advised, Sakura." Saber threw every bit of military snap she possessed into the statement, and it worked - Sakura paused, and looked at her. "You, of all people, cannot afford to squander a Command Spell on such a foolish order."

"What do you...?"

"The Book of False Attendant."

"Nii-san's?"

"Yours." Sakura blinked in confusion. "The Book of False Attendant belongs to _you._ Making it uses up one of your Command Spells - and you can only make it if you have another one remaining. If you use your last Command Spell on the Book, then your contract with the Servant is broken, and the transfer of control is meaningless."

Saber held up one finger. "If you intend to stay out of the Holy Grail War, you can only use a single Command Spell. Use a second, and you will no longer be able to give me to your brother."

Sakura looked like she was about to cry.

Saber was unmoved.

"Sakura. Think very carefully before you use your one Command Spell on something as ridiculous as an order to not protect you."

Sakura stared at Saber for a long moment.

Then, at last - "I understand."

"Sakura?"

"If you say so..." Sakura's voice dropped to a whisper. She bowed her head, and just before they disappeared beneath her bangs, Saber saw the light go out of her eyes.

"...then I'll do as you say."

* * *

Sakura glanced unhappily at her Servant.

She'd hoped that picking out clothes would distract Saber (_she_ certainly wouldn't have known where to start) or at the very least, delay her. Instead, Saber had almost instantly zeroed in on a simple, practical outfit - a plain white romance blouse with tie-off cuffs and slightly poofed shoulders, and a dark purple calf-length skirt - not too constricting, not too loose.

It was surprising, how quickly a heroine from another time and place had adapted to modern clothing. Sakura was too preoccupied to pay it much mind, though.

Saber looked back up the hill as the Matou mansion disappeared from sight. "I did not see your grandfather when we left," she said. "Is he...?"

Sakura could have hit herself. Her grandfather! They could have stopped to say farewell; there was even a chance he might have ordered her to stay for training, so she wouldn't have to...

_Too late now._ "He's usually in the basement during the day. His body doesn't handle sunlight well..."

"Ah." Saber nodded in understanding.

They walked for a few more minutes in silence.

"How far is it to your friend's house?"

"My friend?" Sakura blinked. "Oh, Senpai. He lives in the district on the hill opposite ours."

"That is not far." Saber smiled. "This should not take long, then."

Sakura couldn't stop herself from flinching at that. "We're...not going straight there."

Saber stopped and fixed her with a look that froze her midstep. "Explain."

"The..." Sakura swallowed hard. "The shopping district...We need to buy food for dinner, first..."

"I see." Saber's eyes went wide. "Of course!" She pounded her palm with her fist. "You should have said so earlier. Cooking with fresh food is vital, after all."

Sakura blinked uncertainly. "Yes..."

Saber looked at her Master with a gaze of new respect - almost awe? It was so unexpected from the serious bodyguard that Sakura had no idea what to say.

So she didn't say anything at all.

And then they reached the intersection at the bottom of the hill, and all thoughts of idle conversation fled.

There was police tape everywhere. Most of the intersection was blocked off; a number of officers were walking around within, stumbling around a couple of craters and peering down at what looked like a giant stain on the ground.

Sakura looked at Saber. Saber was watching the scene with a grim expression. "Saber, what is that?"

Sakura had meant the scene as a whole. Saber took her question in a slightly more literal sense. "Dried blood."

"Blood - " Sakura inhaled sharply.

There were a few women standing around outside the lines, looking on and gossiping. Sakura approached one of them. "What happened here?"

"No one really knows," the woman replied. "It's been closed off all day - they're still looking for evidence, I guess."

"_All day?_" Sakura blinked. "Then this happened..."

"Last night." The woman nodded. "It's been pretty bad. Well, the crime, as well, but...I mean, even if it's a Sunday, they can't just close this whole intersection, you know?" She looked around, then leaned in close. "They haven't cleaned up the blood yet, but this morning, there were body parts, too!"

Sakura felt faint. "Body...parts...?"

"That's right." The woman looked at Sakura, and drew back. "Are you all right? You look pretty pale, should you be...?"

Sakura barely reacted when Saber laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come, Sakura. We should go."

Saber took her by the arm, and led her a short distance away. She let go when Sakura pulled away, and stood watch while Sakura sank to her knees.

Sakura looked up at Saber. "This is a Servant's doing, isn't it?"

Saber nodded. "Almost certainly."

"The Holy Grail War..." She took a deep breath. "Can you tell what happened?"

"Not everything." Saber frowned. "But I can tell you this much: This was not the Holy Grail War."

"What do you mean?"

"This was not a battle between Servants." Saber scowled. "This was a Servant...preying on a normal human being."

Sakura's eyes widened. "How can you be so certain?"

"The way the blood was spilled." Saber gestured to the police tape. "It is not easy to read, with how much of it there is...but almost all of it came from a single point.

"This was not a long, drawn-out fight. There was one victim, and he was taken out before he had a chance to move."

"That's horrible," Sakura breathed. "Why...?"

"Opportunity, perhaps?" Saber shrugged. "It might have been to eliminate a witness. Or if the Master is from this town, maybe he used his Servant to settle a grudge."

She shook her head. "There is no way to tell without knowing who the victim was, and I doubt we will ever know that. There probably wasn't enough left to identify him."

"What about the Servant? Is there any clue as to which one did this?"

Saber shook her head again. "It could have been any of us. The only one who would not be capable of that kind of damage from a distance is Assassin - and the specialty of that class is Presence Concealment, so he could get in close. In every case, the victim would not have been able to move."

Sakura frowned. _Any of them - wait._ "You could have done this from a distance?"

Saber opened her mouth, hesitated, then shook her head. "Not this, precisely, no. I could have struck from a distance with my Noble Phantasm, but there would have been far more damage to the surroundings, and much less blood." She frowned. "The blood...if it weren't for the craters, Caster would be my first guess; there are any number of spells that could have caused that kind of damage from within. This looks like it was an external attack, though, and I do not know enough about the other Servants to rule out any of them."

_Any of them._

Sakura slowly stood, forcing herself not to look away. This was the Holy Grail War - no matter what Saber said. This was what the Masters faced, when their Servants fell. _Nii-san...Senpai..._

_Any of them._

This was what Senpai's Servant was capable of.

Sakura looked down at the Command Spells on her wrist. And she began to shiver.

"Sakura?"

She started at the voice. Saber was watching her with open worry. "We should go, before the markets close."

"Y...yes...you're right." Sakura offered Saber a weak smile.

"We can't be...late..."

* * *

It was dark by the time they left the shopping district.

It didn't feel like Sakura had intentionally drawn things out, but Saber could safely say that she was in no great hurry. She shuffled from place to place, and often stopped mid-motion, as if lost in thought; they barely finished before closing time.

Sakura's steps grew even slower as they returned they way they had come. By the time they reached the intersection, everyone had already gone. The police tape was still there, though, and at the sight of it, Sakura came to a dead stop.

"Sakura?"

She walked over to the tape, and looked down. It was too dark to see anything, but she still stared down at the blood-stained pavement.

Saber walked up to stand beside her. She didn't say anything, only waited.

Finally, Sakura took a deep breath and looked up. "Let's go."

Their pace as they climbed the hill was slow, but even. Sakura was no longer hesitating; however, she didn't seem to be in a hurry, either, and Saber was beginning to worry about the food, as well as her Master.

"Sakura - "

"Saber." Sakura didn't look at her. "Please, don't say anything right now. Just...for a little longer..." Her voice broke, and she lengthened her stride, just a bit.

Saber gave Sakura a sharp look. What she'd said had all kinds of potential implications, and Saber didn't like any of them. _Just what is she leading me into?_

Her unease only intensified as they ascended the hill. It grew as they passed one familiar house after another, building towards something - something she knew she should have known, but couldn't recall for some reason -

And then Sakura stopped in front of the very last house, and she realized - she didn't _want_ to recall this.

"Shirou?" She barely breathed the word, but Sakura still heard, and stiffened...and Saber understood everything. "Sakura, your Senpai is _Emiya Shirou?_"

Sakura whipped around, eyes wide. "Why do you know that name?" she demanded. "How could you possibly have..." The color drained from her face. "Don't tell me - "

Saber nodded. "Shirou was the one who summoned me." She looked at the house, and frowned. "Just beyond this wall, as a matter of fact."

"...Saber..."

"It was an accidental summoning." Saber smiled sadly. "Shirou knew nothing of the Holy Grail War beforehand; after it was explained to him, he severed his contract with me and retired." She shook her head. "To think that I would return here like this..."

"Did you kill him?"

"Huh?" The voice was soft, and dark. Saber turned - and froze. Sakura was glaring at her, trembling with palpable malice.

"When Senpai broke his contract with you, did you kill him? That's what Servants do, isn't it?" Sakura grew louder with every word. "Is that how you survived long enough to find us? _Did I re-enter this War on Senpai's blood?_"

"I..." The response died in Saber's throat. The night had become darker, somehow. It wasn't her imagination - the air around Sakura was growing heavy, and Saber squinted as her Master's form seemed to shimmer and blacken.

"_**Well?**_"

Saber took an involuntary step back. She couldn't breathe; it felt like something was reaching for her - something unseen, something lethal -

"_**I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, SABER!**_"

"I didn't kill him!"

And suddenly, all was like it was before. The pressure lifted as if it had never been; the night returned to its customary brightness, and Saber resisted the impulse to go to her knees, gasping for breath.

_What was THAT?_

"You didn't?" Sakura asked in a small, hopeful voice. She didn't seem to have noticed anything different.

_My imagination...?_

"I did not," Saber repeated, and smiled as her Master's shoulders slumped in relief. "We parted ways after our contract ended; I have not seen him since."

She looked back at the house and frowned again. "I did not think I would ever see him again. To return like this...it will be an interesting meal."

"...Saber, let's go back."

Saber looked over in surprise. "Sakura?"

"I can make some kind of excuse tomorrow." Sakura looked quickly from the house to the way they'd come, and back again. "Let's go back, I can cook this at home."

"Sakura, why are you so - "

"Senpai doesn't know about me." Sakura began to tremble once more. "He doesn't know _anything!_ Not that I'm a mage, not that I'm a - " She shook her head. "And now I'm a Master, and he'll know that, too!"

"Sakura, calm down. You are..."

"Senpai hated this War so much that he gave you up. When he finds out that I entered in his place, he'll - " She swallowed a hiccup, on the verge of tears.

"Sakura, you cannot truly believe that Shirou would react like that. You have known him far longer than I; surely just being a Master would not be enough to - "

"I can't take that chance! And it's not just that I'm a Master. If Senpai is - even if he - "

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura stiffened at the new voice. Saber looked up, and saw a woman approaching. She had short hair, and wore a dark apron-like dress over a yellow striped shirt. And she was waving to Sakura, who still hadn't turned around.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing out here?" The woman drew close, saw Saber, and stopped. "Who's this?"

Sakura took a deep breath. And then, as Saber watched in amazement, her face began to shift. There was no magic involved, yet in a matter of seconds, she became a different person. All the tears, all the distress melted away, leaving behind a half-smile that had to be fake...but would have fooled Saber, had she not watched it take form.

Sakura turned at last, false smile firmly in place. "Fujimura-sensei, good evening."

_Sensei?_ So this woman was one of Sakura's teachers? Saber watched closely as the woman returned the greeting. "Good evening, Sakura-chan. And...?"

"This is Saber. She's a...friend of the family."

"I see." The woman offered a shallow bow. "Good evening, Saber-san. My name is Fujimura Taiga. I'm a teacher at Sakura-chan's school." She glanced at the house, and frowned. "But Sakura-chan, why is she _here?_"

"Grandfather asked me to look after her." Sakura looked away. "I couldn't just..."

"Oh?" Taiga didn't look particularly convinced, to Saber's eye. But she looked at the bag in Sakura's hands, and shrugged. "Well! It's not like Shirou will mind, much" - Sakura flinched - "and besides..." She trailed off, then shook her head with a smile. "No, never mind."

She pulled a key out of her pocket, unlocked the front gate, and strode in, calling out as she did so. "Hey, Shirou! Look who I found!"

Saber and Sakura watched her disappear inside, then looked at one another. "Should we leave?" Saber asked.

"No...it's too late. She saw you." Sakura's shoulders slumped. "Sensei is probably telling Senpai about us...right now..."

"Sakura..."

Sakura looked up with a weak smile. "I'm all right." She took a deep breath, and straightened.

"Let's go."

* * *

Sakura followed Saber inside, berating herself all the while.

_Saber was Senpai's Servant._

Sakura hadn't even considered the possibility. She should have - should have at least asked the name of Saber's former Master, if nothing else - but she'd been so determined not to act as a Master, the idea never so much as crossed her mind.

_Stupid! Thoughtless!_

Saber's back loomed abruptly before her, and she stopped herself just in time to avoid plowing into her Servant. Saber was looking at Fujimura-sensei, who stood in the entryway with her back to them.

"What is wrong?" Saber asked.

"The lights are all off." Sensei cupped her hands to her mouth, and called out. "Shirou?"

Silence was her only response.

"That's not right. He can't be sleeping at this time of..." She turned to Saber and Sakura. "I'm going to go check on him - he might be sick, or injured, or something. You two take the food to the kitchen."

She proceeded down the hallway, turning on every light within reach as she did so. Saber watched her go with a frown.

"Saber...?"

Saber shook herself. "It might be nothing. Let's go."

Sakura switched on the lights as she entered the living room. She proceeded to the kitchen and placed the groceries on the counter, then returned to the living room. As she did, the lights glinted off something on the floor by one of the windows.

"What in the world...?"

She walked over to the window. She could no longer see it, but she felt along the floor, and after a moment came up with two clear shards.

"These are...glass. Where...?"

"From that window, most likely."

Sakura started. She hadn't heard Saber come up behind her. Of course, she hadn't been paying much attention, either, and she scolded herself again.

Then she looked at the window, and frowned. _It doesn't look broken..._ "Did Senpai replace it? It doesn't look like it's been repaired, but I can't imagine him missing shards like these if he'd cleaned it up."

Saber shook her head. "Tohsaka Rin repaired this window with magic. I do not believe Shirou did any cleaning afterwards."

"Tohsaka - " Sakura's breath caught in her throat. "Tohsaka-senpai? What was she doing here?" _I'm here. I'm here, so she shouldn't have come. So why...and why does Saber know about it?_

"You know her, then?" Sakura nodded, and Saber frowned. "I see. To answer your question, I believe she came in pursuit of Lancer - he was here when I was summoned. Afterward, she stayed to explain the Holy Grail War to Shirou."

_In pursuit of Lancer - explain the Holy Grail War - _"She's a Master?"

Saber nodded. "Her Servant is Archer."

_Nee-sa - Tohsaka-senpai is a Master._ Just as her grandfather had said. How had he known that? Had he known about Senpai as well, then?

Thoughts of Senpai brought her back to their two missing people. "Sensei is certainly taking a while. I hope Senpai is all right..."

_And isn't it stupid of you to be worrying about that, when as soon as he sees Saber - _

Saber shifted uncomfortably. "Sakura, about that...Shirou is probably not here."

"...Eh? Why do you say - "

Fujimura-sensei chose that moment to stick her head in the living room, with a serious look on her face. "I can't find Shirou! He's not in his room, or in the bath, or - " She shook her head. "I'm checking the rest of the house. Sakura-chan, could you and Saber-san look in the dojo and the shed?"

Then she was gone again.

Sakura looked at Saber.

Saber shrugged.

* * *

The dojo was closer, so they checked there first. As they walked across the lawn, Sakura finally brought herself to speak. "How did you know that Senpai wasn't here?"

"It was an educated guess." Saber looked away. "I apologize for not saying anything sooner. I did not want to do so while your teacher was nearby."

They reached the dojo. It was empty. A cold wind blew through the yard as they began the trek to the shed, and Sakura shivered.

"You didn't answer my question, though."

"Fair enough." Saber nodded. "Shirou was not satisfied with Rin's explanation of the Holy Grail War. Thus, we went to the Kotomine Church in Shinto to see the War's supervisor. I do not know what, precisely, they spoke of, but Shirou severed his contract with me immediately afterwards."

They reached the shed in the corner of the yard. The door was open, Sakura noted - Senpai normally kept it closed - and there was no one inside.

"That church is a sanctuary for Masters who have lost their Servants and retired from the War," Saber continued. "And that is precisely what Shirou was after he released me. In all likelihood, he never came back here."

"I see." Yes, that made sense. It still didn't explain how Saber had found them so quickly - if she didn't kill Senpai, she would have had barely any time left at all - but it did explain why Senpai wasn't here, and she felt her heart unclench, just a little.

The open door puzzled her, though.

She entered the shed, and looked around. It was hard to see; the shed had no internal lighting of its own, and the moon was not yet at an angle to shine through the open door. But she could see enough to know that the place was a mess. The shelf where Senpai kept the appliances he worked with had been tipped over, and Sakura stopped herself a moment before she stepped on a broken VCR.

She frowned. She'd come here to wake Senpai often enough (though not as often as she would have liked) and something was nudging her at the edges of her memory. Something about the floor...

Yes, she remembered now. There was an old design of some kind inscribed on the floor. She had never been sure what the pattern was supposed to represent; it looked like an altar of some kind, or..._or a summoning circle._

She stepped over to where the design was, in her memory, and stooped down to touch the floor. Sure enough - it was rough and uneven under her fingers. She turned and looked at Saber, still standing at the doorway. "Is this your...?"

"Yes, this is where I was summoned." Saber glanced at the toppled shelf, and grimaced. "Just in time, as well - Lancer was about to kill Shirou when I arrived."

Sakura breathed in sharply. "So close..." Something crinkled underfoot. A scrap of paper was lying on the floor; she picked it up, and held it up to the distant light from the house.

The light caught just enough of the shiny surface to allow her to make out the lettering along the top. "'Love's Lovely Ranger Land'...wait, this is - "

This was one of the army recruitment posters Fujimura-sensei had brought over for Senpai the night before last. She'd just seen the others; they were still in the living room. So what was this one doing out here, torn, in the shed?

Saber said that Lancer had been here. Did Senpai use this, somehow?

A poster - to defend against a _Servant?_

The very idea made Sakura shudder.

That had been close. Far too close. She'd almost lost him before she even knew it. Just thinking about it made Sakura's earlier fears look tiny in comparison.

But while it had been close...it was only close. Senpai was still alive.

And that made her decision an easy one.

"I want to see him."

"Sakura?"

"I know. If I go, Senpai will learn everything about me. _I know._" She turned to Saber. "He might hate me. He may never want to see me...again..."

She hesitated for a moment, then shook herself, and straightened. "But even so...I want to see him. I need to see for myself that he's safe."

She cast the poster aside, and walked to the door of the shed.

Saber stood there, blocking her way.

"Where are you going?"

Sakura looked at Saber, puzzled. "Where else? The church!"

Saber didn't move. "And your teacher? What are you going to tell her?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond...and found that she had no words. What _would_ she tell Sensei?

"There is no need to hurry, Sakura. We know where Shirou is. He will still be there after we eat."

"But - "

"Master." Sakura's jaw slammed shut at Saber's tone. "You are not thinking clearly. Night has already fallen. It does not matter when we go out; there will be a chance of our encountering a Master or Servant. You have gone through a great deal of stress these last few hours, and neither of us has eaten all day."

Sakura's stomach rumbled at the mention of food. She felt her cheeks heat as Saber pointedly looked away.

"You came here to cook a meal. You should do so."

"But..."

"No buts," Saber said firmly. "Take care of yourself, first. Shirou can wait."

* * *

Saber was not completely surprised that Taiga agreed with her.

"I understand your concern, Sakura-chan, but the thing is, the futons are all where you put them away last. They wouldn't be that neat if Shirou had used one of them - they haven't been touched."

She shook her head. "Shirou didn't sleep here last night. And if he's been missing that long, there's no point in rushing." She laughed. "Besides, young girls like you two" - Saber felt vaguely offended by that - "have no business running around at this time of night, anyway! So..._let's eat!_"

Sakura finally bowed in the face of their united front, and retreated to the kitchen. In short order, the sounds of cooking began to make their way back to the waiting pair.

Saber frowned. _There's no hesitation in her actions. She seems very comfortable here..._ She turned to the teacher. "Taiga, does Sakura spend much time here?"

She hadn't realized normal humans could move that quickly.

"DON'T CALL ME TIG - wait." She blinked. "You weren't, were you?" She hopped back off the table, and took her seat like nothing had happened. Then she turned back to Saber with a scowl. "Even so! It's very rude to just up and call someone by their name like that, you know?"

"It is?" Saber felt herself blushing. "I apologize. I am not well-accustomed to the conventions of your language; that had not even occurred to me."

It should have, though. Was that a defect of her summoning? She had been furnished with the information necessary for the era, including the local languages - but Japanese was such a hierarchical language, she had a hard time believing something so essential could have just been left out.

Then again, maybe the problem was that Japanese _was_ a hierarchical language. As a king, Saber was accustomed to being the social superior in every encounter, without exception; now that she thought about it, she had to admit that it was disconcerting to hear someone else demand that she address them with the proper respect.

No one, either in this Holy Grail War or the last, had objected to her addressing people by their names before...but Fujimura Taiga was probably the first Japanese person uninvolved with the War with whom she'd had this much contact. Given that, it was much more understandable.

Though still inexcusable.

"I will be more careful in the future, Fujimura-sen...no, wait, you are not my teacher." She frowned. "Fujimura-san...no, you are _Sakura's_ teacher, after all...Fujimura-sama, then?"

"_SAMA?_" Taiga's eyes bulged. "Are you kidding me? If Grandfather ever heard that..." She winced. "You know what? Just go ahead and call me 'Taiga.' That'll be easier for both of us."

"You are sure?"

She nodded.

"Very well, then...Taiga."

"Excellent!" She clapped her hands together. "Now...what were we talking about, again?"

"...Sakura."

"Oh, yeah!" Taiga glanced over at the kitchen, sniffed at the air, and absent-mindedly wiped away a trail of drool. "Well, she started coming over about...a year and a half ago now, I guess? Shirou had hurt his shoulder, so she volunteered to come cook and clean for him - which was kind of funny, considering that she could almost burn water before Shirou started teaching her." Taiga leaned in close, lowering her voice. "Shirou got better - but Sakura-chan just kept coming over, anyway!" She sat back with a loud laugh.

"This is a routine for her, then?" Saber frowned. Something about this whole scenario didn't fit; it had been bothering her since they arrived here, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Was it because Sakura was hiding so much from her? But why? Saber was her Servant, after all. Or -

"Thanks for waiting!"

All thought of what her Master was hiding abruptly fled.

Sakura emerged from the kitchen, wearing a pink apron over her uniform and a cheerful smile. Saber had just enough time to think of how well it fit her, before Sakura began bringing out food...and bringing out food...and bringing out food.

Saber felt her mouth begin to water.

Taiga looked like she was having a religious experience.

"Sakura-chan!" She clasped her hands to her chest, openly drooling. "You've outdone yourself!"

The main dish was a huge platter of spaghetti, lined around the edge with round, juicy meatballs. It was accompanied by a heaping bowlful of seasoned rice, and -

"Sakura, what kind of dumplings are these?"

Sakura beamed. "They're steamed shrimp wraps, with minced meat."

Taiga gave an explosive shudder, and melted into a puddle of glassy-eyed bliss.

"There was a sale on seafood," Sakura continued, "so I cooked the rice with clams...and..." She trailed off, and her face drooped.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Senpai...Senpai would have liked it," Sakura said in a small voice. "I just wish..."

_Shirou._

The realization struck Saber like a bolt of lightning. She'd been going about this all wrong. Looking at things in terms of her Master, Sakura's actions made no sense. Looked at in terms of Shirou, on the other hand...

She couldn't question Sakura now, with Taiga here. But later -

"Well, there's nothing saying you can only make it this once, right?"

"Eh?" Sakura looked up in surprise.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'm sure Shirou's all right, wherever he is - I raised him to be tougher than that, after all!" That made no sense - _tougher than _what_?_ - but Taiga proudly puffed out her chest, anyway. "He'll come back, and when he does, you can make this for me - I mean, for _us_ - again!"

Sakura stared at her teacher. "Yes...yes, you're right." A small smile appeared on her face - a genuine one, this time. "Thank you, Sensei. Please, look forward to it!"

Taiga sat back with a satisfied look on her face, as Saber watched in surprise. _How did she...?_ Taiga glanced over at Saber, and gave her a slow, deliberate wink...then smiled evilly.

"So!" Sakura started at the shout. "Saber-san, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

"Me?" Saber stiffened. "Um...well, I..."

What followed was the most unusual meal Saber could recall.

It was not so much a meal as an interrogation - yet there was no hostility to it whatsoever. Taiga seemed to talk without ceasing, but Saber felt like _she_ was the one on the verge of saying too much. The teacher extracted one nugget of knowledge after another from the Servant with the practiced ease of a mistress of her craft; she was remarkably straightforward, yet almost impossible to deceive.

Nor did she focus solely on Saber. Every time Sakura began to withdraw from the conversation, Taiga effortlessly pulled her back in (more often than not with cheeks flaming); she prodded her, teased her, consoled her, and watched over her, without Sakura ever realizing what she was doing.

There was a bond here, one that Saber had not seen with Shinji or Zouken. They might have been Sakura's family - but _this_ was her parent, and she fulfilled her role with an ease that left Saber in awe.

At any other dinner, Sakura's brilliant cooking would have been the centerpiece. Here, it was merely the finishing touch. Sakura was the liveliest Saber had seen her, and even with Taiga constantly pressing her for answers, Saber could not recall the last time she had had such a relaxing meal.

At some point - she wasn't quite sure when - Taiga must have come to a decision about her, because by the end of the meal, "Saber-san" had become "Saber-chan."

Saber found that she didn't really mind.

* * *

On the other hand, Taiga's insistence that they needed a chaperone on their way home bothered her quite a bit.

"Absolutely not." The teacher turned from locking the front gate, and scowled. "There is no way I'm letting two children go out on their own at this time of night, not with what's been going on lately - not after what happened _yesterday._"

"But Senpai - "

"Shirou would be saying the exact same thing, Sakura-chan. Or did you forget that _he_ wanted to walk you home the other night?"

Sakura froze, mouth open. Apparently, she had.

Saber stepped forward. "Your concern is appreciated, Taiga, but unnecessary. I will be with Sakura."

Taiga shook her head. "Saber-chan, there may be strength in numbers, but not when it comes to young girls. I would be a failure as a teacher if I let you two wander off alone in the dark like this!"

Saber cocked her head. "And you believe that three young girls would be substantially more effective than two?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Saber-chan." Taiga crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll be protecting you, and that's final."

"I see." For a moment, Saber felt like she was once again wearing that thrice-damned raincoat, and hearing Rin snicker about how her Master felt it was _his_ place to guard _her_. It was suddenly very easy for her to believe that this woman had raised Shirou. "So you believe that I will require protection as well. Is that it?"

"...eh?"

"Sakura?"

Sakura closed her eyes and nodded.

Saber turned back to Taiga. "Let us ensure that there are no misunderstandings." _It may raise her suspicions, but at this point, we have no choice._ "I will wait until you are ready to defend yourself."

"What?" Taiga blinked. "Defend my - Sakura-chan, is she serious?"

Sakura looked away.

Saber felt a twinge of irritation.

"I assure you, I am quite serious. Now, prepare yourself."

Taiga looked at Saber a moment longer, then shook her head. "Sakura-chan, if you got onto one of those crazy camera shows without telling me..." She reached behind her, pulled a shinai out of...somewhere - Saber wasn't quite sure where - and took a stance.

Saber nodded, and tensed. "I come."

It didn't take long.

Roughly five minutes later, Taiga slumped back against the wall of Shirou's house, breathing heavily and staring up at the Servant. Saber held the shinai in both hands, and was looking closely at the tiger strap on the hilt. It wasn't a lion, but still...

Taiga pointed at Saber with a trembling finger. "You...you..." She suddenly swung around to point at Sakura. "Your grandfather asked _you_ to look after _her?_"

Sakura blushed.

"I believe I mentioned earlier that I am not familiar with your city or your culture," Saber said. "Matou Zouken wishes for Sakura to act as my guide while I am here." She cocked her head. "At any rate, I trust this eases your mind with regard to our safety."

"I..." Taiga shook herself. "Yes. Yes, it does." She stood up, and looked sternly over at Sakura. "But don't get any crazy ideas about looking for Shirou, understood? It's dangerous out there, so I want you two to go straight home."

Sakura bowed. "Yes, Sensei," she said, and Taiga nodded in satisfation.

They had no intention of going straight home. Saber was impressed - Taiga was not one easily deceived, which made it all the more remarkable how handily Sakura managed the feat.

"And don't worry about Shirou," Taiga added. "I'm going to ask my grandfather to put the word out. We'll find him."

Sakura stiffened. She stared at Taiga for a moment, eyes wide, then bowed again, more deeply this time, hiding her face from view. "Thank you very much!"

Taiga waved it off. "I want him back too, you know?" She turned away, then looked back and waved. "See you at practice tomorrow!"

And then, she was gone.

Saber looked at Sakura. "Her grandfather?"

"The local landlord." Sakura looked troubled. "He's a...he has many resources."

"I see." Saber nodded. "If Shirou were actually missing, that would be most beneficial."

"Senpai isn't, though." Sakura frowned. "I hope this doesn't cause too many problems."

There was nothing Saber could say to that.

They trekked down the hill in silence. There was no hesitation in Sakura's step now, and when they reached the intersection, she didn't even look at the police tape.

Saber frowned at that.

Finally, as they crossed the bridge between Miyama and Shinto, Saber's patience ran out.

"Sakura."

"Yes?"

"Why did you try to leave me behind today?"

Sakura froze.

"The only explanation that makes any sense of your actions is that you did not wish for me to encounter Shirou. Am I wrong?"

Sakura turned and stared at Saber, wide-eyed.

"However, that only raises further questions. You said that Shirou did not know that you were a mage. Am I wrong in believing that you, by contrast, knew of Shirou's magic?"

Sakura slowly shook her head.

"Then I have no choice but to ask." Saber took a deep breath. "Sakura. Did you know that Shirou was a Master?"

Sakura looked away.

"_Sakura._"

"...I suspected." Sakura reached out and gripped the bridge railing. "There was a wound on his left hand, and he didn't know how it got there...it could have been the Command Spells forming."

"And you still wished to go see him. Alone. Without any protection."

Sakura didn't answer.

Saber exploded. "What in the world were you thinking?" she shouted. "If you suspected that Shirou was a Master, that is all the more reason to take me along, not try to use a Command Spell to - "

She cut herself off as an appalling new scenario came to mind.

"Sakura. What would you have done if Shirou's Servant had attacked us? You were planning something, were you not?"

Sakura's grip on the railing tightened.

"Master. Please."

"...the Command Spell," Sakura whispered at last. "I'd have used my Command Spell on you."

"To do what?" Saber asked quietly.

"To stop you from defending me."

She'd suspected. She'd even half-expected it. But still, hearing the words from her Master rocked her like a physical blow.

"You would have died."

"Yes."

"You would have suffered a painful death at a Servant's hands, while Shirou looked on."

"Ye...yes." Sakura looked down. "But if it were Senpai...at least then..."

"You would have left me without a Master once more."

"...eh?"

"And you would have placed Rider in the same predicament."

Sakura froze.

Saber was angry. No, "angry" was an understatement. _What was she thinking? _Was_ she thinking?_ "What do you think would happen to Shinji, if his Servant suddenly lost her Master?"

"Nii-san...?" Sakura blanched. "No...no, I...I didn't..."

"No. You did not."

Saber walked past Sakura, then paused and looked back. "You have made it perfectly clear that you have no intention of acting as a Master. That is fine." Her eyes narrowed. "But I would have thought that you would at least act as a sister."

She stormed off the bridge, barely noticing as her Master scrambled after her.

* * *

The woman was attractive, by most any measure.

If she was out of college, it wasn't by more than a year or two; she was dressed in fashionable clothes, and there was something about her hair - it reminded Shinji of that one girl in the archery club...what was her name, again?

Not that it mattered. It wasn't going to help her, anyway.

She stumbled into the clearing in the park in a blind panic. She'd lost one of her high heels at some point, but hadn't had the presence of mind - or the time - to discard the other; so when she spotted Shinji, standing in a pool of light, she hobbled over to him as quickly as she could.

"Help me, please!" She grabbed his shoulders for support. "There's this - this _thing_, and it's - it's been following me for - "

"Calm down, please." Shinji put on his most suave smile, the one that had captivated half his school (the female half) and gently embraced her. "It's over, now." The woman shuddered, then sighed, and Shinji felt her relax in his arms.

Shinji looked up, and his smile turned sinister. "Rider?"

The woman's scream was most satisfying.

Shinji watched as Rider began to feed. The Servant was draped all over her, biting her neck like a vampire; for a moment, the victim's hair turned blonde in his imagination, and a visceral thrill coursed through him. Even if it was only a fantasy of revenge, it was still an intensely pleasurable one.

Just as it had been with every woman Rider had taken tonight.

Shinji didn't know how many Rider would need to devour, and in truth, he didn't care. Every soul consumed would make his Servant stronger - and if someone had heard his victim's scream, so much the better. After all, Shinji's true goal tonight was...

Rider suddenly broke away from the woman, and turned to look at the surrounding trees.

Shinji looked in the same direction, but didn't see anything. "What is it?"

"Magical energy." Rider dropped the woman, and she fell limply to the ground. "There was a large surge, not far from here...but then, it was choked off."

Shinji frowned. "Choked off...?"

"Well, I'll be damned. I guess the old coward was telling the truth, after all."

A man dropped out of the trees at the edge of the clearing. He was dressed in blue, with a blood-red spear in hand.

"_Lancer,_" Shinji breathed. His mouth stretched in a delighted sneer.

After all - his true goal tonight was to lure out a Servant.

"You know who I am." The Servant's eyes narrowed. "I guess that would make you her _Master, then - !_"

It happened so fast, Shinji couldn't follow it. Even as he was speaking, Lancer sprang forward, spearhead aimed for Shinji's heart - only to be met halfway by the Servant in black.

Spear and dagger clashed, and Lancer and Rider sprang apart as Shinji watched in fascination.

* * *

"Saber?" Sakura stumbled, and almost fell. "Saber, wait!"

The Servant did not slow, nor did she turn around. Sakura couldn't blame her.

She was a horrible, thoughtless girl, who would have gotten herself, both her Servants, and her brother all killed for nothing more than her own, selfish, personal comfort. Why would Saber want anything to do with someone like that?

The essence of the magic practiced by the Matou family was "stealing away from others." There were no redeeming features; a Matou mage fed on the pain of others, and offered nothing in return.

Sakura could now say that she was a true Matou.

When had her vision gotten so blurry? She reached up to her face, and felt her fingers come away wet. She'd started crying without realizing it.

That was a luxury she didn't deserve. Sakura forced herself to dash away the tears, then looked up, and saw Saber. Her Servant stood there, quietly watching her.

"Saber, I..."

"We should go." Saber walked off again, forcing Sakura to follow.

Saber remained in sight as they walked up the hill to the church, but no matter how Sakura tried, she was unable to catch up with her. Saber stayed just out of reach.

Sakura only managed to catch up when Saber stopped, for some reason. Sakura was breathing too hard at that point to think about why.

"Saber...I just wanted...to tell you...I'm sorry..."

Saber didn't answer.

"Saber?"

The Servant did not turn around. "Why are you apologizing?"

Sakura blinked. "Why - "

"Sakura, you were wrong. Disastrously wrong." Saber turned to her now, and her green eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. "But this time, we were fortunate. Nothing happened."

She turned away again. "If you have the resolve to apologize, then use that resolve to do better the next time."

"But - "

"And you have other things to think about right now. We have arrived."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

She knew of the Kotomine Church, of course. As the Matou heir, she could hardly avoid the knowledge. But she had never been here before. The priest here was Tohsaka Rin's guardian and teacher; this was a place the Tohsaka heir frequented, and that made it a place where Matou Sakura did not belong.

She hadn't realized the plaza was so large. She almost completely lost her sense of distance; the church itself loomed before her, but there was nothing in the background she could compare it to, and she could not tell how big it was, nor if reaching it would require five steps, or five hundred.

Either way, though, Senpai was waiting at the end. So she took a step forward. And then another, and another.

But she realized after a moment that there were no answering footsteps behind her. When she turned to look, her Servant remained where she had been before.

"Saber?"

"I will wait here," Saber said. "That church is a sanctuary for Masters; it is not somewhere Servants should go, and I fear it would be...awkward, if I were to meet Shirou there. Also, I do not believe it would be prudent for me to encounter the Holy Grail War's supervisor."

"The supervisor?" Sakura glanced back at the church. "Is there a danger?"

"I do not believe he is a direct threat - at least, not to the Masters." Saber frowned. "He was, however, heavily involved in the previous War, so some caution is warranted."

"You're sure?"

Saber nodded. "You should be safe there. If there is any danger, I will sense it and come to your aid."

Sakura slowly nodded, then turned back and headed for the church.

It was even larger than she'd thought up close. The great double doors pulled open almost as soon as Sakura laid her hands on them, with a loud _creak_ that made her flinch. As she walked in, she was surprised to find that the lights in the chapel were on. Was someone here, at this time of night?

"Hello?"

A motion caught her eye, and Sakura realized that someone was sitting in one of the pews.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to come so late, but I'm...looking...for..."

She trailed off with a frightened squeak.

The man who rose from the pew was dressed in black. He had short blonde hair, with red eyes and dangling heavy gold earrings.

He was someone she'd encountered before.

And he was someone who knew things about her that no one should have known.

"Well, well," murmured the man of gold, as Sakura's eyes widened in terror. "What are _you_ doing here?"

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	5. Feb 3: Phoenix

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is archived in .txt and .html format at my website, The Codex Scribanus. Also, for progress reports on this and my other works (among other things) I maintain a Livejournal. The addresses for both can be found in my author profile.

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

As always, much gratitude goes to my betas, Shack and Kami, who turned down an invitation from Lancer and Rider to form a union and sue their Masters.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

She was surrounded.

The creatures came at Tohsaka Rin in waves. Vaguely human in shape, formed of blue-tinted bones, they had sprung into existence without warning, emerging from the floor as Rin advanced through the narrow corridors of the darkened Shinto office building.

"**Erschießungssplitter, Bricht Ausbruch!**"

A concussive wave emanated from the mage. The creatures closest to her were blasted into dust; those further back were knocked away, toppling those behind them in turn.

New creatures formed from the floor before the others could regain their footing. They, too, attacked Rin, only to suffer the same fate as their predecessors.

Rin's Servant lurked, formless, nearby. He offered no assistance; even if he had, Rin would have refused. Archer was still wounded, and for nothing short of another Servant would she allow him to engage in combat.

In an ideal situation, neither of them would have been here right now. Ideally, she would have waited until Archer was fully healed before returning to the fray. But the situation was far from ideal. Her softness had already cost Rin - Rin, and those dear to her - far more than she cared to think about. Recovery time was a luxury she could no longer tolerate.

She was the supervisor of Fuyuki City. These other Masters were running amok in _her_ territory, damn it, and she would not stand for it for one millisecond longer than she had to!

Still, aggression was not the same thing as recklessness. Tonight's excursion was solely for the purpose of gathering information; even if they did run across another Servant, Archer's only role in that case would be to help her escape.

And these golems were no Servant. They were quick and they were durable, but they were no match for Rin - and that made them a perfect outlet for her to vent her frustrations over this unholy mess of a Holy Grail War, with its idiot Masters, useless supervisors, and screwed-up Servants.

With these punching bags, she could forget about it all, at least for a while...and if that, too, was a luxury, Rin didn't allow herself to consider the fact.

At last, though, they were gone. Rin stood there a moment, breathing heavily, then turned and glared at her still-disembodied Servant. "You have something to say?"

_"Not really."_

Rin scowled as she resumed her trek down the hallway, opening the door at the end.

Archer didn't have to say anything. She already knew.

She wasn't thinking straight. Her nerves were on end, and despite her best efforts, she had barely gotten any sleep during the day. She had to focus on the remaining Masters - her life depended on it - but every time she closed her eyes, she was back at that intersection, feeling Shirou's lung collapse under her foot, seeing the ground before her covered in blood...

Wait. Her eyes weren't closed.

The floor before her really _was_ covered in blood, and there were bodies -

"Archer!"

The Servant had already materialized, and was crouched by one of the men sprawled across the room. "They're alive," he said, and Rin felt herself relax a little.

It wasn't the same, after all.

Archer, on the other hand, frowned. "This scent..."

"You know it?"

He nodded. "Hemlock."

"Hemlock?" Rin frowned. That was a highly poisonous plant. These men were still alive, though, so it hadn't been administered to them directly. But then, how had these men -

_Men._

Rin's eyes widened. Hemlock was also used in spells causing male impotence.

She made a face, and Archer grunted. "I think it's safe to say that a woman was behind this." His tone was so mild, he might as well have been laughing out loud.

Rin ignored the jerk, and stood up. None of the men were in danger of dying; it would make no difference whether they were found tonight or tomorrow. "Let's go, Archer."

He must have caught something in her tone, because he looked up sharply. "You're not going to pursue?" He glanced back at the men on the floor. "She had to have been here until a little while ago..."

"We're just scouting, remember? Neither of us is in any condition to take her on right now. Besides - there's no point." Hemlock was also used for magical work involving astral travel. "She was never here to begin with."

Instead, they went to the roof.

Once there, Rin looked out over the town and frowned. Just as she had expected, life energy was flowing out of the building below her, moving steadily towards a particular location.

"It's heading for Ryudou Temple, then?"

Rin nodded. "Just like the others." This was the third such site they'd investigated tonight, though the first they'd reached so soon after the victims had collapsed. "These comas are all the work of the same person." She hesitated, then shook her head.

"What is it?"

"A little crisis of confidence, I guess." She gave a mirthless chuckle. "I was going to say that only Caster would be capable of something like this - but after everything else I've been wrong about so far..."

"...No, I don't think you're wrong in this case."

"Oh?" Rin turned to look at Archer. "Why do you say that?"

"Caster being behind those comas fits the situation a little too neatly for it to be a coincidence."

"Caster being...?" Rin blinked. "That makes it sound like you know who she is." _Assuming that Caster is female._

Archer shifted uncomfortably. "This is all speculation, you understand." Rin nodded, and he continued. "The golems you just fought were created from dragons' teeth. That was a favored magic of the King of Colchis."

Rin frowned. "Colchis...where have I heard that before?"

"The Argonauts visited there to retrieve the Golden Fleece. You are familiar with that country's princess, I believe."

Rin's eyes widened. "_Medea!_"

Archer nodded. "She would be a more than suitable Caster. And given what Jason did to her, I would have no trouble at all believing her capable of striking at men specifically, as we saw below." He shrugged. "But that is, as I said, mere speculation. Medea as Caster would fit, but it's also possible that this was the work of a Master, independent of her Servant."

"No, I'm convinced." Not to mention very impressed.

Archer, whatever else he did or did not recall, showed a considerable talent for observation and analysis. He was a first-rate strategist, one who could, seemingly without effort, take complete stock of any situation - and of any adversary.

Normally, it was all but impossible to figure out a Servant's true identity without first seeing their Noble Phantasm and hearing its name. It was an unwritten rule of the Holy Grail War...and a rule that Archer broke with disturbing regularity.

Caster's name was only the latest instance. Archer had, within minutes of meeting him, worked out Lancer's identity from his speed alone - and even though it didn't matter anymore, he'd figured out who Saber had to have been, as well.

She was clearly a warrior, Archer had explained, and her armor, hair, and eye color all pointed to northern Europe, at some point during the Middle Ages. Her invisible sword was just as clearly her Noble Phantasm; however, there were no tales of any such weapon from that period, which meant in turn that its invisibility was not an aspect of Saber's legend. It could only be something added specifically for the Holy Grail War.

For Saber to have gotten away with that, though, the addition had to have been necessary to conceal her true name...which meant that her Noble Phantasm was so well-known, it could be identified by sight alone.

There was only one European sword _that_ famous.

"Rin?"

"Sorry, just thinking." Rin gave Archer a crooked grin. "Your true name wouldn't be Sun Tzu, by any chance?"

Archer quirked an eyebrow, then chuckled. "I'm flattered, but no."

"You're sure?" If he knew he wasn't Sun Tzu, then maybe he was starting to remember -

"Quite. I don't speak Chinese."

Well. It was a thought.

Rin looked back towards Ryudou, and frowned. Judging by the magic she'd seen tonight, it was doubtful that the Master there was the same as the one who had turned her school into a deathtrap; likewise, it was doubtful that either of them had killed Shirou.

The other three Masters, then.

At least one was a complete unknown - maybe two. There was, as yet, no sign of the Einzbern Master who was sure to have entered. That one was an outsider based in the western forest, so it couldn't have been Caster's Master (based in Ryudou) or the other (who had infiltrated her school to set up the boundary field).

And then, there were the Matou.

It was entirely possible that they hadn't entered this time around. There were only two possible candidates - one very old, and the other very young - and she didn't believe either would be a particularly strong Master.

She hoped that was the case.

If the Matou had entered, there were only two possible candidates...and Rin didn't know which possibility she hated more.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER V**

**2/3: PHOENIX**

What was with all these women?

Lancer wasn't exactly complaining - he was a man, after all - but every Master/Servant pairing he'd run across so far had at least one woman in it (his own included, if you counted Bazett). For a war - even a war between mages - that just didn't seem right.

"Gotta be against a law or something," he muttered.

The latest of those women faced him across the clearing in a low crouch, legs spread wide, leaning forward on her knuckles. In spite of the mask, he could feel her looking at him; she was like a serpent, coiled to strike.

"Let's see here. Blindfold...leather...collar...and chains." He grinned. "Kinky."

The Servant offered no response.

"And she won't shut up, either!" Lancer cocked his head. "I've already met Archer, Saber, and Berserker," he said, and noted with interest how the Servant stilled at the names. It looked like she'd run into at least one of those three herself - or rather, one of those two; Saber had disappeared before she could fight anyone else. _She's still in one piece...probably Archer._ "You're too strong to be Assassin" - he glanced at the nail-like daggers in her hands - "and if those rusty dildos mean anything, you're no Caster. So...Rider, I presume?"

The Servant shot forward with surprising speed, given her previous pose. Lancer bounded away just in time.

"Guess that's a 'yes,' then."

Rider immediately lunged again, forcing Lancer back on the defensive. His ribs shifted as he did so, and he barely kept a wince off his face.

_Okay. So doing this before I healed from what Berserker did to me might not be the greatest idea I ever had._

Still, when he'd spotted the Servant, there had never been any question of seizing the opportunity. And even with his movement impaired, he didn't expect any real problems. Rider, unlike the three he'd faced earlier, could not withstand Gae Bolg. He knew, because he'd tried to use the Lance of Death Flight - as much to test Kotomine's words as to get his first encounter with the Servant out of the way - and the Command Spell had thrown such a fit, he nearly fell out of his tree.

"I hope you're enjoying this, Kotomine," Lancer growled under his breath.

There was no response.

"...Kotomine?"

* * *

"I...I'm..."

Her voice died in her throat.

Matou Sakura knew what she was. Her grandfather had not hidden it from her; even if he had, she knew her own body better than anyone. The crest worms within her - the Matou's Magic Crest - were responsible for changing her body to that of a Matou...but that was not their only function. Within those worms, her grandfather had implanted a piece of the vessel of the Holy Grail, destroyed in the last War.

It was an experiment - an attempt to turn Sakura into a vessel herself.

The truth of her nature was a complete secret. No one knew of it, not even her brother - only Sakura. Sakura, and her grandfather.

_'You should die now, girl. You will not be able to die if you become familiar with it.'_

And the man who now stood before her.

He wasn't a Servant; of that, Sakura was certain. Saber was close enough that she would have sensed his presence, if he were, but even beyond that, he didn't _feel_ like a Servant. It wasn't anything Sakura could have explained, if asked, but just as surely as she knew he was dangerous, she knew he was human.

But _how?_ How had he known? And why had he all but ordered her to kill herself?

"I asked you a question, girl." He showed no anger, no impatience with her hesitation. In fact, he showed nothing at all. He wasn't like Sakura, who worked to hide what she felt; he simply didn't recognize her as something capable of evoking emotion in him to begin with. In his eyes, she was less than nothing...and her instincts told her that his attitude was completely justified.

And that terrified her more than anything.

"I..." She swallowed. "The...the priest..."

"The priest?" At last, a reaction. He raised an eyebrow, and his mouth twisted in an amused sneer. "You actually thought to come here for sanctuary?"

_Sanctuary? He knows about the Holy Grail War?_ But that only stood to reason. If he knew about her, then of course he would know about the War. "No, I - "

"There is no sanctuary for you - save the grave." He scowled, and Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "You can't even understand something as simple as that?"

"That's..."

He shook his head. "Go home, girl. You will find no protection here."

"That's not what I'm here for!" Sakura finally shouted.

Her voice exploded into the silence, her voice echoing off the walls of the chapel. It was out of place. _She_ was out of place, and she shrank in on herself as the man narrowed his eyes.

"Then why _are_ you here?" The man's voice turned to an ugly growl, and Sakura took an involuntary step back. "What possible business do you have with the priest, if not to try and save your meaningless life?"

She couldn't move. He leaned over her, and she was trapped within his gaze, shrinking back, but feet rooted to the floor. But still, she could not retreat - not now, not before she'd done what she came to do.

_Senpai..._

The man sighed heavily. "You disgust me, girl." There was resignation in his voice, and Sakura's muscles stiffened at the sound of it. She was like a bug to him - an annoyance, at most. But when a person gave up on ignoring a bug...

"Very well. If you cannot be trusted to take the initiative, I will perform the selection myself."

The man stepped back, and Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

She was going to die.

He closed one eye, focusing on Sakura like a sniper, taking careful aim.

She was going to die.

Slowly, but surely, his arm came up, until his hand was poised overhead.

She was going to die.

Sakura couldn't feel anything from the man, but nonetheless, she knew.

She was going to die.

_'You would have left me without a Master once more.'_

She was going to die.

_'And you would have placed Rider in the same predicament.'_

...she was okay with that?

_'What do you think would happen to Shinji, if his Servant suddenly lost her Master?'_

_Nii-san...!_

"No!"

"Oh?" The man paused, looking at her with mild interest. "And why do you say that, girl?"

_A chance._ She had to do something - but what? Saber hadn't sensed anything, or she'd have been here already, so what could Sakura...

_Saber._

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Yes...she still had that.

The man had not moved. He was waiting for her.

_That will be his mistake._

Sakura closed her eyes, took a deep breath...and began to focus on her right hand, and the Command Spells engraved there.

**"SA - "**

"What is the meaning of this racket?"

Sakura broke off. She and the man both turned to the back of the chapel. There, in the doorway leading to the interior of the church, stood a tall man in a long dark coat, with a golden cross hanging from his neck.

"Kotomine?"

The priest had entered the scene.

* * *

Lancer's ribs were screaming.

He'd long since given up on trying to hide the pain; he needed all his concentration to dodge Rider's attacks, so he made do with holding a hand to his side when he had the rare half-second or so to catch his breath.

Rider's Master laughed. "That's just a taste of what's coming to you," he sneered, and Lancer growled softly. What was the boy looking at? Rider hadn't hit him yet!

Admittedly, that had taken some work on his part. Lancer was faster in bursts, but Rider compensated for that by _never stopping._ She was always in motion, coming at him from every direction; though he hated to admit it, in terms of pure speed, she might actually be faster than him, and her black clothes in the midnight park weren't helping him any -

He blinked, then cursed. In that moment of inattention, he'd lost track of her. He cast about, searching...then his eyes widened, and he sprang away just in time, as Rider shot toward the ground like a spear in flight, touching down boot-first where he'd been less than a second before.

It was just a feint, though; she barely impacted the ground before once again launching after him, forcing him to make another rapid side jump.

"That's the way," the boy cackled. "Come, Lancer! Dance for me!"

_Asshole._

But at last, Lancer made a mistake. He went left when he should have gone right, and Rider lashed out with a roundhouse kick that landed squarely in his midsection, sending him back several steps.

And there, he stopped.

"...Hn?"

Rider, too, had paused. She stood where she had attacked, watching with that unchanging masked gaze, and Lancer got the distinct impression that the last attack had not gone as she'd expected.

It hadn't gone as Lancer had expected, either. It should have been stronger - much stronger. Rider's actions up to that point only made sense with a crippling attack, and her subtly disgruntled expression said she'd intended as much.

"What are you waiting for, Rider? Hurry up and finish him!"

Lancer nearly fell over.

_Finish him?_ Had Rider's Master been following the fight at all?

Still, Rider obediently went back on the attack. She shot forward, coming at Lancer from every angle in a never-ending flurry...but now that he knew what to look for, Lancer could see it.

Little staggers, disguised almost immediately. Minute corrections which, nonetheless, she shouldn't have had to make. There was no mistaking it: Where Lancer was hampered by his injuries, Rider was hampered by her entire body. She was accustomed to being far stronger and faster than she now was - which spoke poorly of her Master's magical reserves - and she had yet to make the necessary adjustments.

"Time to die, Lancer!"

And the boy hadn't even noticed it. Lancer found himself grinding his teeth in irritation, even as another attack from Rider got through with negligible damage.

There was a limit to how incompetent a Master could be. Saber's Master had at least had the excuse of being clueless, but this one...!

Lancer altered the angle of his next approach. Rather than dodging to the side, he caught Rider's wrists as she attempted to stab him, and leaned in. "Is that idiot for real?"

Rider just looked at him. She didn't speak, or try to defend her Master in any way; as they broke apart, she looked almost resigned, and Lancer shook his head in amazement.

_No magic, dumb as a rock, and nearly as observant - man, did she ever get the shaft._ It was almost enough to make Lancer think that his own situation might not be so bad, after all.

Kotomine, at least, knew what the hell he was doing.

* * *

Sakura hoped the priest knew what he was doing.

She looked back and forth between the two, who were engaged in an intense staring match...well, the priest was staring, at least, with a gaze of stern reproof. Her attacker, on the other hand, simply looked bored.

"You are, of course, free to move about as you will." Sakura started at the sudden words; she hadn't thought the priest's voice would be quite that deep. "However, I believe I have asked you to at the very least observe a curfew after sundown. After all" - he smirked - "you never know who might find themselves in need of confession at an odd hour, in these...troubled times."

Sakura blinked. If there was any doubt before, there wasn't now - these men were clearly aware of the Holy Grail War.

She was in the right place.

"This is my business, Kotomine." The golden man waved a hand in the air, as if shooing away a fly. "It has nothing to do with you."

"That's not true!"

Her outburst caught the attention of both men. Her attacker squinted at her in annoyance. The priest, though, turned to face her fully...and Sakura shuddered under the intense pressure. There was nothing frightening about him - not like the other - but the air around him was heavy, and it was nearly impossible for her to stay upright.

"I...you're the one I came to see."

The priest frowned, and Sakura's skin turned cold. "You are the Makiri heir, are you not?"

_He knows we're the Makiri?_

Sakura put that aside and nodded.

His gaze took on a stern cast. "Then you are surely aware that you are not supposed to come here."

Sakura swallowed hard. But she'd expected this; if he was Nee-s - _Tohsaka-senpai's_ teacher, he would know all about that. So she nodded again.

That seemed to please him. His expression softened, and he continued. "But, I suppose that is a moot point for the present. Tohsaka Rin will not be visiting here in the near future, and the agreement between your families is suspended during the War, at any rate."

He gestured to the other man, who retook his seat in the pews with a disappointed grunt.

"Very well. My name is Kotomine Kirei. I have been entrusted with this church, and I oversee the Holy Grail Wars of Fuyuki City." He smiled warmly. "What business do you have with me, daughter of the Makiri?"

"I..." Sakura swallowed again. "Senpai. Emiya-senpai, I mean. I - "

"Emiya?" The priest's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Emiya Shirou?"

"I...yes." She paused for a breath. "I heard Senpai was here, so I came, and..." Her voice faltered, then died. Kotomine Kirei was staring at her even more intensely, and she half-expected to look down and find that her clothes had fallen apart.

"Kotomine?"

He ignored the other man. "Tell me, child. What is your name?"

"Name...?" Sakura blinked in confusion. "I...it's Sakura. Matou Sakura."

"Matou...Sakura." The priest repeated the name slowly, savoring it like a fine wine, and graced her with a broad smile that made her want to turn and flee. "You are most welcome here, Matou Sakura."

He paused for a moment, then added, as if in afterthought: "And I am pleased beyond words to see that Saber found a new Master in time."

Dead silence descended on the chapel.

Sakura stared at Kotomine in shock. Kotomine returned the gaze, clearly enjoying her turmoil.

"_WHAT?_"

And the man of gold leaped to his feet, crimson eyes opened wide.

"What is the meaning of this, Kotomine?" For the first time in Sakura's presence, he displayed an unfiltered emotion; he was _furious_, and Sakura felt as if her heart would stop. "How can _she_ be Saber's Master?"

The priest did not answer. Instead, he turned back to Sakura.

"How...how did you...?"

"You came to this church. And you asked for Emiya Shirou."

"What...?"

"You are aware that Emiya Shirou, having summoned the Servant Saber, came with Tohsaka Rin to this church, this refuge for former Masters, and retired from the Holy Grail War. There are only two people who could have told you this: Saber, and Rin."

Kotomine clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "But if you had learned of this from Rin, you would not have come."

She couldn't breathe. The pressure was building; Sakura had a premonition of impending disaster, but could think of no way to avert it. "And...why is that?"

"That is because Rin knows that Emiya Shirou is not here."

Time froze.

The world lost its color. Sakura could only stare straight forward, taking in the church in gray scale, as the priest continued.

"Emiya Shirou refused my offer of sanctuary. Late last night, he used up his Command Spells, ended his contract with Saber, and left for his own home. I have not seen him since."

Sakura's head felt light. "But then, where - "

_'There is no way I'm letting two children go out on their own at this time of night, not with what's been going on lately - not after what happened_ yesterday_.'_

And she knew.

"No..."

She'd already known.

She wanted to deny it - but she'd known that it wasn't a coincidence, someone being slaughtered at that particular intersection. Slaughtered on that particular night.

Slaughtered at the hands of a Servant.

Why hadn't she realized it sooner?

_No._

Why did she have to realize it at all?

"Senpai..."

The world grew hazy, then tilted sideways. Sakura's last sight before she lost consciousness was of the crucifix hanging on the chapel wall, and the anguished expression of the figure nailed there.

* * *

The attack was easy to see, and easy to block.

"Oh, come on!"

And Lancer was getting frustrated.

The battle had turned in his favor. Rider had not been able to stop it -

He ducked another attempt to put a nail through his skull, and cursed again.

- or rather, she hadn't _tried._

"What's wrong with you, Rider?"

And Rider's Master had done nothing. He gave her no support, and offered no advice; ever since the fight had reached a point where even _he_ could understand that Lancer had the upper hand, he'd done nothing but stand there and berate his Servant.

Lancer, quite frankly, had seen enough.

After their next pass, he sprang back to the edge of the clearing, putting a good distance between them, and gave Rider a flat look. "Are we done playing yet?"

"_Playing!_"

Lancer ignored the Master's indignant squawk. His attention was on the Servant.

And after a moment, Rider spoke for the first time. "I'm not certain what you mean."

_Gods, could she whisper any softer?_ He wasn't even sure if her _Master_ had understood her; if it weren't for his ears, Lancer would have lost her voice on the wind.

"Come on, don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean." He hefted Gae Bolg. "I am Lancer. Note the big red pointy stick I've been waving around.

"And you are Rider." He paused for a moment, and gave her outfit another long look. "I'm _assuming_ that's because of your Noble Phantasm, and not what you two do in private."

"How dare you, you insolent dog! I ought to - "

"**Quiet, _boy._**" Rider's Master fell on his rear end with a frightened squeak, and Lancer reined in his temper with a fresh curse for Kotomine and his stupid orders. _That settles it. Once I'm free of this Command Spell, he's the first one I kill._ He turned back to Rider. "Well?"

"Your point being, Lancer?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" He sighed heavily. "Look, we both know you can't keep up with me like this. So if you don't feel like committing suicide, why don't you try mounting something besides your Master? I'm a nice guy - I'll wait."

Rider's Master slowly climbed to his feet. His face was flushed a deep red, and he was trembling with rage.

And Rider was...smiling?

Lancer's eyes widened.

He'd missed something. His instincts were screaming at the top of their lungs; there was a threat he'd overlooked - but what? Even now, he couldn't sense anything; Rider wasn't gathering any magical energy, so how -

Rider lifted one hand, and Lancer realized. _The mask!_ It was there for a reason. There was something about Rider's eyes that she had wanted to keep hidden...until now.

Lancer had jumped too far back. Without his Noble Phantasm, it was too late for him to stop her; all he could do was brace himself for whatever was coming -

"Rider? What are you...?"

And then, Rider stopped.

The smile dropped from her face. Her head turned slightly, as if glancing over at her Master - as if remembering that he was there - and her hand returned to her side.

"...I see. So that's your answer, is it?"

And Lancer saw red.

Rider couldn't use her attack...because of her Master. He hadn't given her any orders - in fact, Lancer realized, he hadn't even known of whatever it was Rider was about to do. And Rider had realized that her Master would be just as vulnerable as Lancer. So she'd stayed her hand.

"Idiotic...incompetent..."

Well, screw Rider, then. He'd hoped to use her Noble Phantasm as an excuse to withdraw, but he was done with that now.

"It's all _your fault!_"

He'd let the Command Spell do the work, instead.

Lancer shot forward - not at the Servant, but at the Master. Rider tried to intervene, but a slight angle shift and a second burst were enough to get past her.

Kill the Master, kill the Servant. The panic on the boy's face was just an added bonus; the Command Spell would never let him get away with it, so that would give Rider the opening to drive him off -

And then, the boy was before him.

"What...?"

The Command Spell hadn't stopped him.

He'd been counting on the Command Spell to act as a speed bump, if not a brake. The unexpected lack of resistance sent him skidding past his target, and he swung around to stare in shock. _Why didn't it - _

And that was all the opening Rider needed. Her kick connected soundly with Lancer's side, sending him rolling away; he came to his feet, took in Rider's wary stance, and her Master, alternating between terror and fury...and he decided that was enough.

He spat on the ground, and leaped away.

Rider didn't try to follow.

He should have been happy. That was another Servant down; he only had two more to go. But nothing about the encounter made any sense. The handicapped Servant. The incompetent Master. The malfunctioning Command Spell. Even for a fight that didn't count, this was nothing like what he'd expected from the Holy Grail War.

He was one step closer to being freed from his Master's ridiculous restraints.

But this step had left a very bad taste in his mouth.

* * *

This entire situation was all too familiar to Saber, and not in a good way.

Once again, she stood watch in the middle of the night outside the Kotomine Church, while her Master consulted with the supervisor of the Holy Grail War within.

Yesterday, she had worn a raincoat over her armor, and her Master had abandoned her.

Tonight, she wore, not armor, but a dress. And her Master...?

From what she could feel, Sakura's mind was in turmoil. There had been a spike of terror earlier, but no physical danger that Saber could sense; given what Sakura had come to do, both emotions were very easy to understand.

Sakura was, more than likely, meeting Shirou that very minute. She would have to explain how she had found him...which would, in turn, mean explaining who and what she really was. Saber was uneasy about that, herself; she wasn't sure how Shirou would react to her continued existence, or to just whom she'd found to be his replacement.

The church doors opened, and Saber looked up in surprise. It was too soon for their meeting to have ended; had Sakura brought Shirou outside, or...

"What...?"

The figure standing in the entrance was not her Master - either of them. It was a tall man, wearing a long, dark coat, and lying limp in his arms was -

"_Sakura!_"

Saber flew to the church doors. The man did not resist as Saber snatched her Master out of his hands, and jumped back to a safe distance. Only then did Saber allow herself to really look at the man who had carried Sakura out...and to growl.

"_You._"

It really had been only ten years.

She hadn't thought that Zouken was lying, but at the same time, it was hard to get her mind around the concept. Her only other point of reference was Shirou, who was so unlike Kiritsugu that she couldn't believe there was such a close link between the two.

But this man looked almost exactly as he had when she saw him last. The hair, the face, they were the all the same; the only real difference was that he was decidedly healthier than when she had seen him last.

Considering the state he'd been in, that only stood to reason.

"Kotomine...Kirei."

"Well, now. Servant Saber." The supervisor seemed unaffected by her hostility - almost amused by it. "This is a surprise."

Saber clutched Sakura to her a little more tightly. "What did you do to her, Kotomine?"

"Do?" Kotomine smiled. "I did nothing. Matou Sakura is unharmed; she has merely fainted."

Saber looked down, and examined Sakura more closely. It was as Kotomine had said; there were no wounds, and physically, she seemed in good health. Saber almost relaxed...but then she realized that the priest still stood in the doorway.

"What do you want?"

"Only to talk." He smiled again. "You are something that has never before occurred in the Holy Grail War; as its supervisor, I would be remiss if I let this opportunity pass me by."

Saber's eyes narrowed.

"I could scarcely believe it, when I first laid eyes on you. It is unheard of for the same Servant to be summoned for a second Holy Grail War." He chuckled. "Much less for that Servant to remember the events of her previous summoning."

Saber uttered a silent curse. This was the other reason she hadn't accompanied Sakura inside - to keep him from learning of her. _Too late now._ "I could say the same of you, as well. It was quite a shock, hearing that you were the supervisor now - after all, I am certain that Kiritsugu defeated you in the last War. How is it you are still alive?"

"Defeated?" Kotomine's mouth twisted. "Certainly, Kiritsugu defeated me. I had raised my hands in surrender...and he shot me in the back." He spread his hands, palms up, and looked at Saber. "Why do _you_ think I live, Servant Saber?"

Saber's hands itched for her sword. "I have no time for your games, Kotomine. What are you planning? If you intend to seize this War's Grail, as well, I will finish what Kiritsugu started right here."

"There is no need for that," Kotomine said heavily. "It is true that ten years ago, I was a Master. Now, though, I am merely a caretaker." He looked away, as if in regret. "I do not care who obtains the Holy Grail. It is the reason for my survival."

Saber's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you...?"

"That is a long and boring tale. Let this suffice: I was saved by the Holy Grail. Even now, I am sustained by it. It is the whole of my existence." He looked directly into Saber's eyes. "My only wish is to see the Holy Grail completed; I have no interest in the question of who takes possession of it afterward. As long as you and your Master strive to attain it, you have nothing to fear from me."

Then he cocked his head. He looked off into the distance, as if listening to something Saber couldn't hear, and frowned. "There is much I want to ask you...but it is getting late. I must take my leave of you, now."

"Wait! Kotomine - "

"See to your Master, Saber." He gave her a pleasant smile. "I fear she has had...something of a shock."

He turned away, and the church doors swung shut behind him.

Saber watched with a glare. She continued to stare at the church until her Master groaned in her arms.

"Sakura!"

Sakura slowly opened her eyes. "Sa...ber...?"

"Sakura, are you all right? What happened to you in there?"

"Where...?"

"We are outside the church. The priest brought you here after you passed out."

"The priest..." Sakura's grip on Saber's arm tightened, and she began to shake. "Not a dream...no..."

Now Saber was beginning to grow alarmed. "Sakura, what's wrong? What did you learn - where's Shirou?"

"Senpai..." Great tears formed in Sakura's eyes. "Senpai was..."

"Sakura?"

Sakura buried her face in Saber's shoulder, and began to wail.

* * *

Sakura was quiet as they finally left the church.

It had taken her a long time to calm down, and an even longer time to explain; she could hardly make it five words without breaking down again.

Still, she had eventually gotten through it.

Saber was stunned by the news. Not once had she thought that the victim at that intersection might be Shirou; even now, the more she thought about it, the less sense it made.

Any Servant would have been able to see where Shirou had come from, and that he was no longer a Master; there was no reason to go after him, when he'd dropped out of the Holy Grail War of his own accord.

For that matter, how had they even known about him to begin with? The only other Servant who knew of Shirou was Lancer, and he'd only tried to stab him - that butchery didn't seem like his style. She could only imagine that someone Shirou had known - an enemy of his - had become a Master, as well...but again, how had they even known about him, much less known that he would be going home at that particular hour?

But that entire mystery was only a secondary concern. Sakura had been devastated; she shuffled mechanically alongside Saber, not seeing her surroundings, or even caring to look. Saber had no idea what her Master was thinking - if she was thinking - and no idea what she could say or do.

So she said nothing, and merely stayed by Sakura's side as they made their way back through Shinto.

When they reached the bridge, Sakura stopped.

"Sakura?"

She stared at the river, as if seeing it for the first time; when she spoke, it was in a soft voice, without looking away from the water.

"Is the Holy Grail really worth all of this?"

Saber didn't hesitate in her answer. "It is."

"Why?"

She did have to think about that for a moment - not so much for what to say, as how to say it. "Because it is that powerful," she said at last. "There is no wish it cannot grant; its reach extends to where sorcery itself fails."

"Is that so?" Sakura still wouldn't look at her.

How could she put this? "It can gain you any treasure. It can eliminate any obstacle. It can change the world." It had to be able to, if she could come here and contest for it. "It can even change the past."

"Can it bring someone back from the dead?"

Saber's eyes widened. _Is she...?_ "It can."

"I see."

And for a long moment, they stood there in silence.

"...I refused to fight."

Saber looked over. Sakura was still looking at the river as she spoke, with silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Grandfather argued with me. He told me I should seize what I wanted. But there was no need for that. I already had..."

She shook her head. "No, more than that. All I wanted was for Senpai to be alive, and safe. And after that, to stay by his side, for as long as I could. I couldn't fight him - it was never an option." She half-chuckled, half-hiccupped. "Grandfather didn't understand. How could the Holy Grail grant my wish, when to get it, I would have to destroy my wish with my own hands?"

Saber had no words to answer her. She could only watch as Sakura continued.

"So I gave up Rider. And when Grandfather gave you to me, I tried to keep you away from Senpai. Even if I had been killed - at least that way, Senpai would be safe.

"And in the end, I lost him anyway."

She took a deep breath, and turned to face Saber. "I refused to become a Master. I'm not much of a mage, and I'm even less of a fighter."

Saber frowned. _What is...?_

"I'm weak, and selfish, and indecisive, and a coward, and a crybaby, and a - "

"Sakura!" Saber grabbed her by the arms, cutting her off. This wasn't just self-deprecation; those were _affirmations._

_She's saying these things as much to herself as she is to me._

"Why are you doing this?"

"You need to understand!" Sakura shouted. "Everything's changed. It doesn't matter what you think of me, anymore; you _have_ to know what I am, so that you can - " She broke off and shook her head in frustration.

"Sakura, what are you trying to say?"

Sakura closed her eyes, and took a long, calming breath. When she opened them again, she looked her Servant directly in the eyes for the first time.

"Saber. Will you tell me about your wish?"

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	6. Feb 3: Many Happy Returns

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is archived in .txt and .html format at my website, The Codex Scribanus. Also, for progress reports on this and my other works (among other things) I maintain a Livejournal. The addresses for both can be found in my author profile.

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

My prereaders, Kami and Shack, have once again gone above and beyond the call of duty in making this fit for public consumption, and deserve high praise.

**For those who seek understanding, the key is "Shining Star."**

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

"You're sure it was here?"

"Positive."

Archer didn't know why Lancer had been running from this place. The Servant had shot across the river in headlong flight as Archer and Rin crossed the Shinto-Miyama bridge, in such a rush that he apparently hadn't even noticed them. At Rin's order, Archer tried to follow - but that was fruitless. Even without Lancer being aware of his pursuer, he still escaped Archer's notice just as easily as he had the night before.

Archer knew where he was probably headed, of course...but there was no way he could tell _Rin_ that. And considering who else the priest had in reserve, Lancer wasn't really that important, in the greater scheme of things.

Archer was more interested in the question of just whom Lancer had been running from. And he'd been able to backtrack from where Lancer had emerged, until the trail ended here.

Here, in a deserted clearing, in the park by the bridge.

"There's nothing here!" Rin scowled. "What would Lancer have been doing in an empty..." She trailed off, and her face paled.

_Almost_ deserted.

At the other end of the clearing, near the foot of a light pole, there lay a woman.

Rin and Archer slowly moved across the clearing, watching for traps and ambushes. There were none, though, and when they reached the woman, Rin dropped to one knee to check her condition.

Archer didn't bother. There were no marks on her, but he could already tell.

The woman was dead.

Rin took a little longer to check the body before she looked up at Archer. "Lancer, you think?"

"Running from a corpse?"

Rin frowned, and Archer grimaced. _She's actually considering that?_ She must have been even more exhausted than he'd thought.

She sighed heavily. "All right, all right - I get it. There had to be someone else, right? Another Servant."

Archer nodded. "This woman did not die all that long ago. Lancer probably interrupted while the other Servant was feeding."

"Not long?" Rin blinked. "But then - " She looked back down at the body, and shook her head. "No...it wouldn't have mattered, would it?"

Archer shook his head in turn.

No, it would not have mattered. This woman could not have been saved, no matter what. Even if Lancer had defeated the other Servant, she was still a witness; the only help he would have offered was a quick death.

"Can you tell which Servant he fought?"

"No." And that bothered him. Archer frowned. "Whoever it was, he picked up after himself. There are barely any traces left of the battle."

"Figures." Rin sighed again, then stood. "Let's go home. I'll contact Kirei about...cleaning this up...later."

She looked nearly as disgusted by her words as Archer felt.

Maybe because of that, he found himself watching Rin very closely as they headed back. And the more he watched her, the less he liked what he saw.

She was troubled by the comas she had witnessed. Even more, she was troubled by the deaths that had bookended them. No, not merely troubled; they had changed her, and not for the better.

It had begun with the first death of Emiya Shirou, which prompted her to squander a priceless advantage in this War. It had gained momentum with the final death of Saber's Master. And with this nameless woman - not merely slain, but devoured; her soul consumed, her existence eradicated, so that even the cycle of rebirth was denied to her - the change had fully taken form.

And its form was one that Archer recognized all too well.

The calm, ruthless mage who had summoned him was gone. What remained in her place was a smoldering, unforgiving rage...one aimed squarely at the five remaining Servants.

Rin was no longer fighting to win the Holy Grail War. She was fighting to eliminate the other Servants, as quickly as possible. Before they could do any more damage.

No matter the cost to herself.

The motive was different, as was the starting point. But the goal was the same, and early as it might have been, the path was undeniable:

His Master, great of skill and great of mind, was turning into Emiya Shirou.

Archer was halfway through his third plan to divert Rin from her course before he realized what he was doing, and stopped with a silent, derisive laugh.

With Shirou dead, he had no more goals, no further mission remaining to him. Constrained as he was by the Holy Grail War, he was, nonetheless, free.

And so, given his freedom - however temporary - he had instead looked for someone to save.

Rin, from herself. The people of this town, from the Grail. It didn't matter. It was reflexive; he didn't even have to think about it.

Understanding what he was doing made no difference - it was impossible for him to give it up. He still wanted, _needed_ to save them.

The Servant Archer loathed what he had become, with every fiber of his being.

But even so, he couldn't change who he was.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER VI**

**2/3: MANY HAPPY RETURNS**

They walked silently alongside one another.

It was not a comfortable silence, but it was not an uncomfortable one, either; it simply was. Saber and Sakura had each said what needed to be said, and that was that.

Sakura's reaction to Saber's identity and goal had been muted. That was entirely understandable, given the circumstances; their wishes were compatible, and that was the most important thing.

There was no point in discussing strategy at present. Rider and Shinji were active, and were effectively fighting in the Holy Grail War on their behalf; it was to Saber and Sakura's advantage to remain in reserve, for now.

Not that there was really any choice in the matter. Sakura's safety was paramount not only to Saber, but to Rider, as well; Saber could not venture forth now without endangering them both. In the near term, nothing had changed.

Further along, though...

Sakura stumbled, and Saber grabbed her arm to steady her. Sakura flinched at the contact.

"Are you all right?"

"I...yes, I'm..."

Saber frowned. Perhaps the silence was not as innocent as she'd assumed. Sakura's face had turned red, and she was sweating heavily in the winter night. It was not a healthy combination.

Saber reached out to take her hand, but Sakura jerked away. Saber frowned again. "You need to rest someplace warm. Let us hurry back."

"No, it's not..." Sakura trailed off, and her face grew even redder.

"Not what?"

Sakura started to speak, but hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing. Let's go."

She took all of two steps before losing her balance again. Saber had to rush to catch her this time.

"Sakura!"

"I'm...I'm all right..."

Saber gave her a flat look.

"...really! It's just..." Sakura trailed off, and looked away.

Saber sighed heavily. "Please do not push yourself. Here, lean on me."

When Sakura still hesitated, Saber grabbed her arm, ignoring her Master's sharp intake of breath, and ducked underneath it to support her. "Now, let us go."

It was a slow walk. In spite of Saber's support, Sakura seemed to grow weaker and more feverish as they went along.

"Sakura, should we stop and rest?"

Sakura continued to stare ahead, and didn't offer a reply.

"_Sakura."_

Sakura started, then blinked. "Um...yes?"

Saber frowned, but repeated the question.

Sakura hesitated, then shook her head. "No...rest won't help. We should get back...at home, he'll probably..."

"'He'?"

Sakura's eyes widened, and her footsteps faltered.

"Who is 'he,' Sakura?"

"I...that is..." She looked away.

Saber heaved an exasperated sigh. _What is she hiding now?_ "Sakura, if you know what is going on, then please tell me. I have accepted you as my Master; there is no need for this subterfuge."

"...Do I have to?" Sakura asked weakly.

"Your well-being is my foremost responsibility. I will have to insist."

Sakura's shoulders slumped. "All right. It's..." She trailed off, eyes, widening. "Nii-san?"

Saber followed her gaze, and her own eyes widened in turn. Shinji had staggered onto the main road from one of the side streets - and he was an absolute mess. His uniform was soiled and torn in several places, and though she could see no wounds, he was having trouble keeping his balance. His face was flushed, and he was trying to say something (to whom, she wasn't quite sure - Rider was following him in spirit form at a distance, so Saber didn't think it was her) and catch his breath at the same time.

"Nii-san!" Sakura broke away from Saber, and ran up the path to her brother. Saber followed at a more sedate pace, while carefully watching the surroundings; Rider's nonchalance aside, it was still possible that Shinji was being pursued, which would make her Master a potential target, as well.

All thought of pursuit vanished, though, as Sakura reached Shinji. He swung around to glare at her...and then, to Saber's horror, he struck her in the face.

Sakura fell to the ground with a startled cry. Shinji spat on her fallen figure, then drew back his leg to kick her -

"**_SHINJI!_**"

His head snapped up at the enraged shout. His eyes widened, and he gave a panicked shriek as he caught sight of his sister's Servant. He stumbled back a couple of steps, almost losing his balance yet again, then scrambled away as Saber charged after him.

"Saber..."

The voice of her Master stopped her. She glared at Shinji's quickly receding figure, then returned to Sakura's side.

"Sakura, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm - " She cut off with a pained gasp. A bruise was already forming on her right cheek, just below the eye.

"That despicable little...!" Saber was _furious._ "When I get my hands on him - "

"Please...don't. It's not..." Sakura winced again. "Nii-san isn't usually..."

Saber stared at Sakura in shock. Surely, she didn't mean...

Sakura didn't look away, and Saber's shoulders slumped.

_She does._

And Sakura was her Master, now.

"Very well. But for his sake, he had best not be. You are under my protection; please understand that I will not overlook something like this a second time." She glanced over. "I trust you will pass that message along, Rider?"

Sakura's hiss of surprise was nearly lost in the metallic shimmer as Rider materialized. "I will do so. It would be...problematic...if you were to kill Shinji now."

Saber frowned, and glanced over. Sakura's face, flushed as it was, had still paled noticeably at the mention of Shinji's death. "That is entirely up to him."

She helped Sakura to her feet, then turned back to see that Rider hadn't moved. "Was there something else?"

"...I had hoped to consult with you regarding an event from earlier tonight."

Saber blinked. "Consult with me? Did something happen?"

Rider nodded. "Shinji and I encountered Lancer, not long ago." She frowned, and looked away. "The battle was...strange."

"Strange?"

"I am not sure how else to describe it." She turned back to face them fully. "Lancer made mention of having fought you, Saber. It is my hope that you might notice something in his behavior that I have missed."

"I see." Saber frowned. It would be to her benefit to give Rider any advantage she could against the other Servants; still... "I am not sure how helpful I can be, but I will do what I can." She began walking with Sakura, with Rider following on her other side. "I take it that Lancer is still alive?"

"Yes. He fled in the end. I am not sure why, though."

_Running away, again?_ "That could be because of his Master. Lancer calls him a coward; he was ordered to retreat from his fight with me, as well."

"A coward...it is possible, I suppose. Lancer did mention such a person during the fight." Rider frowned. "But that was at the beginning of our encounter. Moreover, I cannot think of a single reason for him to have pulled back in the situation in which he did so."

Saber raised an eyebrow. "You were that badly off?"

Rider nodded, her expression unreadable. "No wounds were dealt, but I am forced to admit it. In hand-to-hand combat, Lancer outclasses me; without my Noble Phantasm, I did not stand a chance against him."

"Without your Noble Phantasm?" Saber blinked. "Was there a reason you could not use it?"

Rider did not answer. She turned and looked at them as they walked, and Saber had the distinct impression she was annoyed. "Rider?"

"Lancer asked me much the same question. That one seems...quite fond of conversation." Rider sighed quietly. "But with Shinji in range as well, using it was not an option."

Saber's eyes widened at the admission. Anything regarding a Servant's Noble Phantasm - related as it was to the Servant's identity, as well as the Servant's strongest attack - was a jealously guarded secret; she could readily understand Rider's reluctance to speak about her own Noble Phantasm's nature. Still, out of respect for her fellow Servant, she went on. "Surely he could have gotten out of range, though. That would only be a temporary hindrance, would it not?"

"He would not have known to do so."

Saber stopped dead.

"...He _what?_"

"Shinji has no knowledge of my Noble Phantasm." Rider took two more steps, then paused, and turned to look directly at Saber. "Nor has he ever expressed any interest in that knowledge."

Saber knew she must have looked ridiculous, standing there with her eyes bugging out and her mouth agape...but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. She glanced over at Sakura, and saw naked fear in her gaze. Her Master, reluctant as she was, still understood what that meant - and what it portended for her brother.

And with that, Saber exploded.

"_Has he completely lost his mind?_ How does he expect to survive this War - let alone function as a Master - if he does not know your Noble Phantasm?" Saber wasn't sure why she was so angry; certainly, her Master would not want to see him killed, but that alone wouldn't account for this having upset her so. So why...? "Knowing your Servant's capabilities is the most fundamental of the fundamentals! That should have been the very _first_ thing he ascertained, along with - "

Wait.

_No. No, he wouldn't. Even_ Kiritsugu _didn't go that far; surely Shinji has at least..._

She looked over at her fellow Servant.

Her fellow Servant looked back expectantly.

"Rider," she said carefully. "Are you telling me that Shinji _hasn't even asked your name?_"

"That is correct."

And for a long moment, nobody moved.

Saber's thoughts were a jumble. There was shock at Shinji's actions - shock, and disgust. Saber hadn't thought it possible for her to loathe a Master more than she did Kiritsugu; Shinji, though, embodied all of her former Master's disregard for his Servant...and none of his competence in any other area.

_Well, at least I understand why this aggravated me so much, now._

There was a half-guilty gratitude to Sakura. She had accepted Saber as her Servant...and in so doing, ensured that she would never be placed in the predicament in which Rider now found herself. Shinji had Rider - but he would not have Saber, no matter what.

There was consternation in the realization that Rider and Shinji's prospects in the Holy Grail War were even worse than she'd first thought. She could not count on that pair to do anything against the other Servants, save fall - and that would almost certainly happen far earlier than she'd expected.

But above all, there was a horrified understanding.

In this Holy Grail War, Rider received no support from anyone. Shinji could not give her magical energy. She could not rely on him for advice or strategy. She did not merely have to work against the other Servants and Masters; more often than not, she had to work against _her own_ Master, as well.

Rider was alone.

She stood there, waiting, as Saber regained her composure. She betrayed none of her own reaction to the revelation she had imparted; perhaps by now, she had simply accepted it.

_It isn't right._

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The Holy Grail War was supposed to be a Master and Servant, working together to defeat their foes; even for someone who would one day be an opponent, Saber found Rider's situation intolerable.

But what could she do? She was with Sakura, now - and Rider...wasn't. What could she possibly offer this temporary ally, whose nightmarish predicament was the only reason Saber herself remained alive?

"...Let's get back to Lancer."

Rider nodded silently.

* * *

"Wait. You're saying Lancer _didn't_ suck Shinji?"

Sakura stumbled, eyes wide. Saber caught her - again - and she mumbled an apology without really thinking about it. Saber _couldn't_ have said what she thought she'd said.

...could she?

"No." Rider ignored the byplay. "He sought the opportunity, but when it came, he seemed surprised that the opening existed. I am not sure why he passed up such an inviting target."

_Oh. "Attack."_

Neither of the Servants knew what she'd been thinking. Nonetheless, Sakura felt her face flush in humiliation.

How much longer would it be until they got home? It felt like they'd been walking forever; she was passing in and out of consciousness, without realizing it until after the fact.

She'd gained a small reprieve from the rich dinner, but that was now completely gone. (Truth be told, she was surprised it had lasted as long as it had - the trip to the church hadn't exactly been an easy one for her.)

She forced herself to concentrate on the discussion. She needed something - _anything_ - to focus her mind.

"How severely was he injured?" Saber was asking. "You said that he was hurt even before your fight."

"His ribs were bruised, at the very least." Rider's lips pressed in a tight frown. "But even with that handicap, he had a decisive advantage over me."

Saber frowned. "That is strange, then. You are sure that his Master did not order him to retreat?"

"If he did, Lancer gave no sign of it."

Sakura resisted the temptation to close her eyes. She was a Master now; she needed to act like one. The puzzle of Lancer concerned her, as well.

"Lancer was very displeased when he withdrew," Rider continued. "But he had been unhappy with how the battle was proceeding for some time, so I do not know how much can be read into that."

"Unhappy?" Saber blinked. "What did he have to be unhappy about?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. He did not truly lose his temper until I refused to activate my Noble Phantasm, though."

"At which point he went after Shinji."

Rider nodded.

Sakura swallowed hard. She'd already lost Senpai. The idea of Servants targeting her brother, even in a battle he'd voluntarily entered, was not one she found at all enjoyable. Even more, she hated the thought of this irrational Servant, who'd tried to kill Senpai and now got upset over Rider not revealing her -

Wait.

"What about Lancer's?"

Dead silence.

It took Sakura a moment to realize that the one who had spoken was _her._ She looked up, and shrank back at the sight of Saber and Rider, both looking at her in surprise.

"Sakura?"

She gathered her courage and took a deep breath. "Lancer's Noble Phantasm. Did he...I mean...was there any sign of...?" She faltered, and her voice trailed off.

_Stupid...what was I thinking, opening my..._

But Saber's eyes widened. "She's right." She ignored Sakura's gasp of surprise, and turned to Rider. "Lancer used Gae Bolg against me before he retreated. Did he try to use it against you?"

"Gae Bolg? That is Lancer's Noble Phantasm? That would make him...I see." Rider frowned. "But no, he did not try to use it against me. It was not..." She paused, and looked away.

"Rider?"

"There was...a large surge of magical energy, just before Lancer engaged us, coming from the place where he emerged." Rider frowned again. "It was choked off, though. Could that have been...?"

"It sounds like it. The same thing happened when he used it against me. Only...choked off?" Rider nodded, and Saber frowned. "That is strange."

They walked along in silence for a few more minutes. The Servants appeared to have forgotten that Sakura was there; after her last venture into the discussion, Sakura did not have any problems with that.

"What type of attack does Gae Bolg utilize?" Rider asked finally.

"Reversal of causality," Saber replied. "When Lancer uses it, it will always pierce the heart; the path of the thrust is added after the fact, regardless of where he actually aims."

"And you survived this?" Rider's tone was mild, merely curious - but Sakura's eyes widened. That hadn't occurred to her. Just what kind of a powerhouse _was_ her Servant?

"Barely." Saber scowled. "I still took a deep wound, though."

"...I see. And its range?"

Saber frowned at that. "Regardless of the course, he still has to be close enough to thrust it. So if he was not using it against someone else..." Her eyes widened.

"It must have another form." Rider nodded. "From that distance, it would almost have to be a thrown attack."

"But it failed, for some reason." Saber looked at Rider. "It wasn't anything you did...?"

Rider shook her head. "The surge ended before I had a chance to react."

"So either Lancer cut it off himself, or someone else ended it by force. That would almost have to be his Master...but why...?"

Sakura was so absorbed in the flow of the conversation between the two that she didn't notice Saber had stopped and turned to her until she plowed headlong into her chest. Saber caught her arm before she could fall, and she suppressed a hiss at the fresh contact.

"Are you all right?"

Sakura shook her head, not so much answering Saber's question (though it was true, in that sense) as denying it altogether. "Why have we stopped?"

Saber glanced around uncomfortably. She started to speak, but then hesitated, and looked away.

"What's wrong? Why are you..." Sakura looked past Saber - and froze.

_Police tape._

The intersection at the bottom of the hill.

They'd reached the place where he had died.

Sakura pushed away from Saber, and walked over to the taped-off area. She wasn't sure what she'd expected to feel - consciously, she hadn't been expecting anything; she'd somehow managed to put the fact that they would have to pass here again out of her mind - but this was not it. She felt no grief; at least, no more than she'd already felt. This was where Senpai had breathed his last...but all the fact drew out in her was a yawning emptiness.

Almost without thinking, she went to her knees.

"Senpai..."

She did not pray. There was no point. She was a mage; for her, prayer was a meaningless activity. She did not ask - only gave.

_I'll get you back. No matter what._

A promise to a dead man.

She rose, and turned back to the others. Rider was looking at her with a strange expression.

"Sakura, has something happened with Shirou?"

Sakura froze.

Her eyes widened; off to one side, she heard Saber's hiss of surprise, but she could not take her eyes off the Servant.

"Rider, you..." Saber trailed off, as if uncertain what words to use. "You know about Shirou?"

Rider tilted her head. "You did not?"

_What is she talking about?_

What did she know about Senpai? More importantly - how could she have known? Sakura continued to stare in shock; she missed Rider repeating her question, only to catch Saber's answer.

"It is as you see."

"As I...ah. Then this is...?"

Saber nodded.

"I understand."

And with that, Rider drew back a few steps.

"Rider?" Sakura blinked. Why was she looking at her like...

"I see that circumstances have changed."

Sakura flinched at her soft, bitter tone.

"Only in the long term." Saber stepped between them - almost as if she were protecting Sakura from Rider. "It matters not which of us wins, in the end, as long as _one_ of us does. In either case, Sakura will gain the Grail."

Rider regarded them for a long moment. Then, finally, she nodded. "This is true." She turned and looked up the hill, towards the Matou home. "For such an artifact, an extra wish should pose no problem."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. She'd almost forgotten. If Rider won - _Nii-san...!_ "Saber, Rider...please don't tell Nii-san about this. About Senpai, I mean."

Rider nodded silently.

Saber frowned. "I would not have done so in any case, but why?"

"It's...Nii-san. I don't..." Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "I'm in the War, now, but we're still allies. It doesn't mean I want to take his wish away. Nii-san, though..."

"He will not see it that way," Rider said in a low voice.

Sakura nodded.

Saber fixed her with a piercing look. "You know that you will not be able to hide it from him forever."

"Maybe. But if I can...just for a little longer..."

For Sakura remembered.

She remembered her brother's face, when he first discovered the basement, and the truth that _she_ was the Matou heir.

She remembered his face, when his only friend struck him, and destroyed their friendship - because of _her._

The look on his face then was a look of pain. Of horror. Of impotent rage. It was a look that _she_ had put there.

Sakura hated that look.

She never wanted to see it again.

* * *

"Damn her, damn her, damn her, damn her, DAMN HER!"

Shinji was not sure just whom he was cursing. It could have been any of them; it could have been all of them.

He had enough hatred to go around.

"_Damn her!_"

The familiar rooms of the Matou mansion, dark and empty, brought him no comfort.

His having made it home safely was no cause for joy. He had looked death in the face tonight - twice, in fact - and yet lived, but he felt no pride in the accomplishment.

He snorted bitterly. Accomplishment? It was no such thing.

He had not escaped death. Death had _rejected_ him. He had been judged as prey...and found wanting.

It was one more humiliation in a life full of them. And it was a humiliation he placed squarely on the shoulders of the three.

"Rider!"

Shinji threw open the door to his sister's room, and turned back to yell at...thin air.

"Rider?"

Still no response.

"Rider, where are you? Answer me!"

There was no answer. Rider was not here.

"What's this now, Rider? Running away from your Master?" He found that incredibly funny, for some reason, and began to laugh.

_Run away? Yes, and well she should._

Bad enough how she'd blundered against Lancer. In the face of his sister's Servant, she hadn't shown herself at all.

Shinji's laughter abruptly melted into a dark shriek.

"_Damn her!_"

Today, a mirror hung on the wall. Shinji grabbed the clock off Sakura's desk and hurled it, shattering his reflection into a hundred thousand glistening shards.

But the act gave him no satisfaction. Far from it, in fact.

He was not wrecking his sister's room. Her "room" was the hidden chamber in the basement. The only purpose this place served was to make the outside world believe that she was an actual person.

Its mistress did not care what happened to the things here. No matter how much he destroyed, he wasn't actually hurting her; often, their grandfather repaired or replaced what he broke before she even realized that he'd done anything.

But even so, ineffective as it might have been, it was the only means of striking back at his sister that he had.

"Damn her!"

He shoved her books off the desk, then grabbed the lamp and threw it at the wall. The light bulb shattered with a pitiful spark.

"_Damn her!_"

He knocked the desk over on top of the debris.

"_DAMN HER!_"

He ripped the top drawer completely out of the dresser, and hurled it, clothes and all, down onto the desk. The flimsy wood split with a heavy _crack_, but he didn't take any notice of it; he was already looking for something else to destroy.

"**DAMN HER!**"

And thus, Matou Shinji once again renewed his daily routine.

* * *

Sakura realized what was happening as soon as she heard the crashes.

In the silence of the night, they were audible even from outside the house; when the three of them entered, they could hear him shouting on the floor above.

Saber looked up. "What in the world...?"

Sakura frowned. This was not a good time. Seeing Nii-san now would not help anyone. She should go see her grandfather, instead; by the time she'd finished with her report, and whatever training he wanted to put her through -

"I am going to take a look. Sakura, please wait here." With that, Saber ran for the stairs.

Sakura stared blankly after her. "Take a - " Her eyes widened, and the blood drained from her face. "No, wait - Saber - !"

She scrambled for the stairs, as quickly as she could - but she was too late.

"SHINJI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Sakura reached the second floor just in time to see the chair that had sat by her desk fly out the door of her room, over the crouching Saber's head, and crash against the wall.

"That is my Master's room, Shinji!" Saber straightened, and glared inside. "I do not know what you think you will accomplish by this, but if you do not get out of there this instant, I will - "

"You'll what?" Her brother's voice barked a high-pitched laugh. "You don't tell _me_ what to do, you insufferable bitch! _I'm_ the Master here!" And he broke into an insane cackle.

"Saber - stop, please."

Saber looked over in surprise. "Sakura?"

"It isn't worth it." She walked over to join her Servant at the doorway. "This is just..." She trailed off as she noticed.

Her brother's laughter had come to an abrupt stop.

She looked in the room, and couldn't help but wince.

_Nii-san certainly made a mess of it, this time._

Wood, glass, clothing, and books were scattered everywhere. The only thing even close to intact in the room (other than the windows - they were Reinforced to be unbreakable, and by now, he knew better than to try) was the bed. All he had done there so far was pull off the sheets, and tear them into strips.

The man himself stood in the middle of it all, perfectly silent now. He was looking at her - no, she realized with a start; he was looking _past_ her, at -

"_You._"

Sakura turned in surprise. She had forgotten about Rider, and hadn't heard the Servant follow her up - but she was here now, standing behind them, upright and motionless.

Shinji's face twisted into an ugly snarl. "_Get over here!_"

Rider obediently stepped past them and made her way into the room, carefully watching where she placed each step. Thus, she wasn't looking at Shinji - and was caught off-guard when he grabbed her by the hair and jerked her forward, off her feet and onto the wreckage that was once Sakura's desk.

"You're MY Servant, Rider! You belong to ME!" He stooped down, pulled her head up from where she was sprawled, and screamed in her face. "_So what were you doing with THEM?_"

"My...apologies..."

"Nii-san, wait!" Sakura stepped into the room. "It's not Rider's fault..."

Shinji turned to look at her with wild eyes, and her voice died. He let Rider drop, and slowly straightened...and Sakura realized that she might have just made a mistake.

And then, her world exploded in pain.

There was noise. There was light. There was shouting. Sakura couldn't make heads or tails of any of it; her body was in agony, and it demanded all of her attention.

She returned to herself only as the pain finally narrowed in scope. As if to make up for it, though, it grew in intensity - a sharp pain running along her spine, concentrated most strongly at a point just below her shoulder blades.

She reached behind her, and felt solid wood. _The dresser._ Her brother, by fortune or design, had thrown her squarely against the corner -

And then she heard a dark growl, and forgot all about the pain.

"Get out of my way, Rider."

"I cannot do that."

Sakura's eyes snapped open. Saber stood at the doorway - in her armor, now - with her hands drawn back, invisible sword in her grasp. Rider stood upright about three feet away, denying her entry. Behind the Servant, her brother had fallen back, sitting in the ruins of the desk and staring up at them in naked terror.

"If you will not move," Saber said in a voice of granite, "I will _remove_ you."

Rider didn't flinch. "If I move, you will kill Shinji. I cannot permit that."

The staredown continued, neither Servant moving so much as a muscle, until -

"...very well."

Saber lowered her hands, and Sakura released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _That was too close._ She smiled as a slight breeze caressed her forehead, and...

Wait. Breeze?

The windows in this room were all closed, so where...?

Her eyes shot back to the doorway - and widened in horror.

Saber had moved her hands to the front of her body. The wind was coming from _her_, and it was growing stronger by the second...and above those gauntlet-clad fists, a golden blade was beginning to take form.

"In that case, you and Shinji will both perish, here and now!"

Sakura sucked in a panicked breath, and broke into a fit of coughing. _Excalibur! She can't use that here! Not against - _ She struggled to her feet, ignoring the shooting pain in her back and her difficulty in breathing as she did so. "Saber!"

"Do not move, Sakura." Saber didn't take her eyes off of Rider. "If you stay against that wall, you should not get caught up in this."

"Saber, stop! Don't - "

"Not this time." Her eyes sought Shinji's form, and narrowed in anger. "I told you earlier, did I not? I am _finished_ overlooking this fool's actions - and well done with it."

_No. This can't be happening. Please, no..._

"Saber, listen to me! I'm your Master! Don't do this - "

"I refuse!" Saber snapped. "You are my Master, yes. And as your Servant, I am going to protect you, whether you like it or..." She stiffened, eyes widening.

Rider, too, turned to face her. "Sakura?"

Sakura glanced down at her hand. She was not sure when they had begun to burn - the rest of her body had already been burning for hours - but she was not surprised to see the Command Spells on her right wrist glowing an angry red.

"Very well."

She should have seen this coming. Then again, she was much calmer than she'd thought she would be...so on some level, maybe she had.

"Sakura?" Saber's voice had taken on a tint of panic. "What do you think you're - "

"Listen to me very carefully, Saber. **You will not harm Nii-san.**" The heat on her wrist grew, and she paused for a breath. "**You will not so much as raise a _finger_ against him**" - she looked up, fighting through the heat, and saw Rider - "**or against anyone defending him, for the duration of the Holy Grail War!**"

There was a bright flash, and Sakura cried out in pain as the Command Spell took effect. Then the heat boiled over, and she had time for one look into her Servant's shocked eyes before the darkness claimed her.

* * *

What was that?

Shinji could only stare. His body was on autopilot; he heard himself order Rider to shut the door, and saw her move to follow his command, but he wasn't really paying any attention to that.

What just happened?

He was dead. He knew it in his bowels. The golden-haired witch had killed him. It wasn't a matter of trying; his death at her hands was already predetermined, and it remained only for her to carry it out.

So what had happened? One minute, he was dead - and the next...

He looked up, and saw Rider laying his sister on the stripped bed.

He hadn't told her to do that.

"What are you doing?"

Before Rider could answer, Sakura began to stir. She opened her eyes with a pained groan.

"Where...?"

Rider turned away from him, and he felt his teeth begin to grind. "How do you feel?" the Servant asked.

"Wh...Rider...?" Suddenly, Sakura's eyes shot open. "Nii-san! Where is he?"

She tried to sit up, but she could barely move; still, panting with exertion, she managed to raise her head and turn to look at him.

She slumped back on the bed with a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness..."

_Thank goodness?_

Shinji felt his eyes widen, and blood rushed to his face as she continued.

"You're...not hurt?"

Shinji found himself answering, almost automatically. "No."

"That's good..." For a second, a hint of a smile appeared on her face - but only for a second. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared, replaced with a despondent frown. "At least...that's one thing I didn't completely botch..."

Shinji stared at her in bafflement. _What in the world is she talking about?_

"It shouldn't have gotten to this point...I should have been more careful..." Sakura's voice was getting weaker. "If I'd done better with Saber, she would never have..."

Her eyes slid shut, and she took a painful breath.

"Nii-san...I'm sorry..."

"...Sorry?"

Sakura froze.

"You're...sorry?"

Shinji's heart pounded wildly behind his eyes as he stalked toward the bed, barely noticing as his sister's eyes opened wide and she shrank back as best she could.

Protecting him.

This mindless doll had been _protecting him._

**HIM!**

"You think," he growled, "that you can just lie there and say _you're sorry?_"

"No, that's not what I - "

"Shut up!"

Shinji leaped onto the bed, landing on his knees and straddling her hips. He grabbed a handful of hair tight in each hand, eliciting a pained shriek, and began rhythmically slamming her head back against the bed.

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up!_"

She looked up at him through her pained tears. The look in her eyes only infuriated him all the more.

"Don't forget your place, you slut! Your Servants belong to me!" He gestured wildly to Rider, standing stiffly against the opposite wall - then brought his hand back in, slapping Sakura sharply across the face. "The Grail belongs to me!" He slapped her again, on the other side this time. "YOU BELONG TO ME!"

He seized the vest of her uniform and ripped it open, sending buttons flying every which way. He glared down at her - and there it was.

His sister looked up at him with dull, empty eyes.

Just as she was supposed to.

Shinji wore a victorious sneer as he reached for her blouse.

* * *

Saber stared at the door to her Master's room.

It was a mechanical action, one with no emotion or passion behind it. She had heard Sakura cry out, had heard Shinji's angry shouts - but every time she tried to enter the room, her body seized up.

She could have overcome the bind - she was Saber, after all; her class's Magic Resistance applied to the Command Spells just as it did to any other magic - but only with great difficulty. She would not have enough left afterward to overpower Rider.

She was helpless. The only thing she could do was stand here, and stare at the door.

"Sakura...why...?"

"My, what troublesome grandchildren I have."

Saber spun around, eyes wide. "Zouken!"

The Matou patriarch stood behind her, laughing. "I did not think she would allow you to kill him...but to use a _Command Spell_, of all things!" He cackled.

"How long have you been there?"

"Been?" Zouken raised an eyebrow. "That is a foolish question. Whose house do you think this is? Within these walls, I can go anywhere, and watch anything I want."

"So you've been watching? All this time?"

Zouken nodded.

"Then why have you not stopped this?" Saber gestured to the door. "Shinji beats Sakura constantly! Even now, he is...You have to do something!"

"'Do'?" Zouken chuckled, and shook his head. "No, I am afraid you are mistaken. It is not my place to 'do' anything."

"Not - not your - " Saber's eyes bugged out. "How can you possibly say that? Sakura is your _granddaughter_ - "

"Sakura is my _heir._"

Saber froze.

"You need to keep in mind which of my grandchildren is the mage, Servant Saber. If Sakura wished to stop her brother's assaults, she has the power and the right to do so. She has had both for years."

Zouken cocked his head as Shinji's laughter bled through the door. The heavy wood muffled his words, though, and after a moment, the old man continued.

"Our magic works around the concepts of 'binding' and 'absorption.' Sakura is fully capable of turning Shinji into an empty, lifeless, withered husk any time she so chooses; she and Shinji are both well aware of this."

Saber frowned. "So then, you are saying..."

"I am saying that it is Sakura who allows Shinji to act as he does."

Saber stared at Zouken in disbelief. He met her eyes with a disinterested gaze that told her, as clearly as anything, that he was telling the truth - and a mundane truth, at that.

But, even so.

"No. No, I cannot believe that. I cannot believe that Sakura would willingly..."

"Believe what you will. You have the Command Spell for evidence, after all." Zouken shook his head, and chuckled. "Still, do not think so harshly of my grandson, Saber."

Saber's eyes narrowed. "Family he may be, but that is not enough to excuse such a wretched - "

"Oh, I quite agree with you, there. The boy's father was a disappointment, but compared to the son - !"

Zouken shook his head again. "No, what I meant was in regards to your Master. You see...Shinji is acting at my direction."

"At your...?"

She understood the words. Individually, they were easy to make out. But in combination, they made no sense. He couldn't _possibly_ mean -

"You..._told_ Shinji to...?"

Zouken nodded with a crooked grin.

And just like that, the sword was back in her hands.

A massive gust kicked up in the hallway as the covering of Invisible Air fell away, revealing the blade. Saber charged for Zouken with an enraged howl.

"YOU _BAST - _"

And then, she froze.

"What?" Saber tried to push forward, but her body would not obey her. "The Command Spell! But why...?"

_'Do not think so harshly of my grandson, Saber.'_

Her eyes widened.

_'You will not harm Nii-san. You will not so much as raise a _finger_ against him - **or against anyone defending him.**'_

Zouken was defending Shinji.

And thus, the Command Spell prevented her from attacking him.

"Curious." Zouken raised an eyebrow. He did not seem at all worried. "I hadn't expected the Command Spell to be so effective." He laughed. "Such a kind girl, my granddaughter - wouldn't you agree?"

"You think this is _funny?_" Saber snarled, still trying to force her way forward. "If you hadn't slipped under the Command Spell's protection - "

"You still could not have killed me." Zouken's amusement abruptly dropped away. "I am Matou - one of the three. Do you really think I could have survived as long as I have, if I had no means of protection against the Servants?"

He sighed. "If you are going to be a nuisance about this, it would be better simply to explain it. Put up your sword, Saber." He grinned. "This will be easier if it does not feel like I am lecturing a prisoner."

Saber glared at him a moment longer. Then, finally, she released her sword, allowing it to dematerialize. She felt the bindings of the Command Spell retreat as she did so.

"Very well. Speak."

"How gracious of you." He chuckled at her barely-suppressed growl, then his face grew serious once more. "Before we begin, what do you know of my granddaughter's training?"

Saber frowned. _What does that have to do with...?_ "Very little. I can see that it is harsh; from what she has said, at least some of that is due to her being adopted. Beyond that..." She shook her head.

"Hmm...I see." Zouken nodded. "Yes, that is the best place to begin, then. Sakura was not lying, Saber. Her training is indeed harsh, and her blood makes it harsher still." He coughed into his fist. "However, it is also necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"The Magic Crest of the Matou family. It can only be passed to a blood relation. For Sakura, born of another, to become my successor..." His mouth stretched in a death's head grin. "Tampering was called for."

Saber gave him a flat look. "Tampering."

"Indeed. The alterations were comprehensive - down to the blood, down to the nerves, down to the very cells. Genetically, Sakura is a Matou, now. Even her hair and eyes have changed to the color she would have had, had she been born to us naturally. And thanks to that, Sakura has become my heir.

"But such tampering cannot be free of consequence." He shook his head. "When Sakura reached puberty, we became aware of a certain side effect."

"Side effect? What is - "

Wait.

Puberty?

He couldn't mean...

Saber's eyes narrowed. "You said you had altered her nerves."

Zouken laughed. "You are quick on the uptake, Saber! Yes, that was where the pitfall lay. As a consequence of the alterations, Sakura developed a ravenous hunger, one far beyond that of a normal child. And when her body began to develop and flood with hormones, her sexual appetites were formed - and amplified - along those same nerves."

Zouken glanced over at the closed door. "Left unsatiated, she would lose her mind in a matter of days."

"But then, how..." Saber's eyes widened. She whipped around toward the room, then back to Zouken. She could feel her face turning green. "You don't mean that _Shinji_ is - !"

"Magical energy will soothe Sakura's nerves. The ideal way for her to gain that energy is from a mage's semen." He smiled cruelly. "In the absence of a mage, though...any male will do."

_That...that...!_

Saber glared at Zouken.

Zouken returned her glare with a smug grin.

Saber finally spoke in a low voice. "This is unacceptable."

"And if it is?" Zouken raised an eyebrow. "What concern is that of yours, Servant? Your only role here is to fight in the Holy Grail War. What happens to your Master outside of it is none of your concern."

Saber shook her head. "Have you forgotten? Until the day that Rider falls, my only role is to protect Sakura. And I am telling you, as her protector, that I find her situation here intolerable."

"Intolerable, eh? Well then, what will you do about it?" Zouken sneered. "Can you protect her better than I have done here?"

"Absolutely," Saber shot back. "No matter the circumstance - there is no enemy I would allow to touch my Master."

"And what of protecting Sakura from herself?"

Saber stiffened.

"Without Shinji, how will you preserve your Master's sanity?" He gave her a mocking smile. "Tell me, Saber - no, _King Arthur_ - can your Noble Phantasm produce the magical energy to sustain her?"

Saber ground her teeth in anger. His having recognized Excalibur - and thus, her identity - was a fleeting concern. The bigger problem was that he was right. Her Noble Phantasn wasn't capable of that, and they both knew it.

"Such a pitiful face..." Zouken grunted, then shook his head. "Oh, very well. If you are so adamant about the matter, I will allow it."

Saber blinked. "...eh?"

"I said I will allow it. If you can find a place better suited to Sakura, you have my permission to make that location your base...as long as you can also find a way to keep her mind intact." He gave her a mocking grin. "A simple task for such a great hero as yourself, I'm sure."

She glared as he shuffled away, his laughter fading into the darkness. Then she lowered herself to sit against the wall opposite Sakura's room, and pondered.

Zouken had thrown down the gauntlet. And Saber intended to answer. She would find a better place for her Master, and she would find another way to sustain her.

Shinji's laughter rang out from the room again, and she ground her teeth.

There _was_ another way.

There had to be.

* * *

_The two were made aware of their mistress's return long before she actually reached the castle._

_Thus, when the doors to the great hall opened, they were both there to greet her._

_"**Welcome home,** Ojou-sama!Ilya!"_

_Leysritt's fellow maid fixed her with an annoyed look, which she ignored in turn with the ease of long practice._

_Sella was far too concerned with propriety, in Leysritt's opinion. Ilya liked it, and that was what was most important._

_However, Ilya had yet to respond to either of them._

_Leysritt looked closer, and her eyes widened in surprise. Ilya's face was red, and her eyes were swollen; she glowered at the floor, doing everything she could not to start crying._

_Behind the Einzbern Master, the doors swung shut. And with the sound, Ilya exploded._

_"HOW COULD YOU HAVE LET HIM ESCAPE?"_

_The enraged shriek bounced around the great hall, reverberating and intensifying, to the point that both maids were forced to cover their ears._

_"One! One measly Servant!" Ilya gestured wildly as she spoke, glaring away from the maids and at...thin air. "He was right there, and you couldn't even - MATERIALIZE WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"_

_The giant appeared in an obedient shimmer. Leysritt's jaw dropped, and Sella breathed in sharply._

_A massive scar, like a sunburst, now adorned Berserker's chest. That in itself was stunning enough, considering his Noble Phantasm - but the scarred area was not gray, like the rest of his body._

_It was the bright pink of fresh skin._

_How many hours ago had the pair departed in pursuit of Lancer? How long ago had Berserker been dealt this wound?_

_Either way, it was inconceivable for it not to have healed by now. Any normal wound - well, as normal as a wound could be, coming from a weapon strong enough to overcome the God Hand - would quickly have disappeared without a trace. For a wound like this to fester, to the point that the God Hand's protections had not yet been fully restored..._

_Just what kind of a monster _was_ this War's Lancer?_

_Ilya glared up at her Servant. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"_

_Berserker stared back passively. He could not speak, at any rate; but even so, he had nothing to express._

_"That's what I thought." Ilya stamped her foot in anger. "I should kill you down to the very last one, you overgrown paperweight! I should take all eleven - "_

_She paused, and put a finger to her lips as her eyes widened._

_"Oh, wait - that's right," she said sweetly. Too sweetly. "I can't take eleven, can I? I can only take eight."_

_Her face grew thunderous. "Not only did he get away - YOU LET LANCER KILL YOU! **THREE TIMES, IN ONE BLOW!**"_

_It was as if all the energy went out of Ilya with this last outburst. Her face grew pale, and she began to sway unsteadily on her feet; she staggered, and was forced to grab hold of Berserker's leg for balance._

_"Ojou-sama!"_

_Ilya waved Sella off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just..." She threw her hands in the air, and screamed. "Oh, forget it! I'm going to bed!"_

_And with that, she stomped up the staircase, leaving the two maids and the Servant behind._

_"...I'll look after her. Leysritt, please finish the rounds." Sella left without waiting for a reply._

_Berserker remained motionless in the great hall. After one last look, Leysritt departed, resuming her rounds of the castle._

_These patrols were a necessary precaution. Thorough as their surveillance of the forest was, it was still inadequate in the face of Assassin's Presence Concealment; that Servant could bypass even the most watchful eyes with ease._

_It was not expected that Leysritt or Sella would spot Assassin, where every method of detection known to man and mage had failed. Their role, rather, was that of bait. Should the weakest of the Servants attempt to eliminate the maids acting as guards, he would be in for a most unpleasant surprise._

_There was no sign of Assassin now. However, as she approached the storage room on the fourth floor, Leysritt noticed something else._

_"Oh, dear."_

_She moved to what was left of Emiya Shirou, and stooped down to examine him; after a moment, she straightened and shook her head._

_"He's dead."_

_She looked around, and seeing a white cloth draped over some boxes, took the cloth and used it to cover Shirou's body. It wasn't quite long enough, though; his head was left exposed._

_"I'm sorry...you'll have to make do with this for a shroud..."_

_She looked down on his anguished face - eyes open, even now - and sighed._

_"It's too bad...Ilya enjoyed playing with you..."_

_She turned, and left to resume her rounds._

_It was easy to see how the maid came to the conclusion that she did. Shirou's body was a gory, tattered mess. His right arm was gone altogether, and with all the blood, it was nearly impossible to distinguish between what remained of his clothing and what remained of his skin. What were once his legs were splayed in what would normally be an impossible position; it was no great difficulty now, though, for there were no bones remaining in his body below the rib cage._

_He did not move. He did not breathe, and his heart had stopped. All in all, Leysritt's mistake was an understandable one._

_Nonetheless - it _was_ a mistake._

_Shirou was not dead._

_He could not move. He could not breathe. He had no heartbeat. And none of that mattered, for no matter how much of his body stopped working, he still could not lose consciousness._

_Death could not claim him. Every time it tried, it was thwarted - driven away, by the small hand of an impulsive young homunculus._

_And thus matters stood at the end of the day._

_The head remained intact._

_The spell remained active._

_And a small but steady stream of magical energy continued to flow from Ilyasviel von Einzbern to Emiya Shirou._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	7. Feb 4: Altered Beast

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story (plus chapter notes) is archived in .txt and .html format at my website, The Codex Scribanus. Also, for progress reports on this and my other works (among other things) I maintain a Livejournal. The addresses for both can be found in my author profile.

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Once again working miracles on demand were my pre-readers, Shack, Kami, and beginning this chapter, Elf, who agreed to join in a last-ditch attempt at keeping the story from going completely off the rails.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

The Servant watched with a bemused smile from the comfort of the darkness, as the image of the girl tore apart her golems.

_"Why you stubborn little - **Asche zu Asche, Staub zu Staub**!"_

The constructs' destruction was no great loss to her. She could always make more, and in return, she had gained a look at her enemy's technique.

What she saw impressed her. This girl was nothing compared to her, of course - but for a mage born of this limited, crippled era, her talent was considerable.

And at the same time, by destroying the golems herself, the girl had prevented her from getting another look at her Servant in action.

"Clever girl."

She tried to chuckle, but it turned into a grimace before she could force her expression back to its customary smoothness. The watcher did not recognize the girl's Servant...but with the way this War had gone so far, he would have to be as unexpectedly strong as the rest of them.

Archer was canny, and sly, and even without his bow - whichever Noble Phantasm that might be - he was a formidable warrior. He had yet to reveal any of his true abilities, to anyone - an impressive feat, and doubly so given whom he'd already fought. His aborted skirmish against Lancer had been great comedy; she couldn't help but laugh at how thoroughly he'd gotten under the spearman's skin, in such a short stretch of time.

She whispered under her breath, and the blue Servant replaced the girl within her orb of light.

Lancer, too, was a surprise. She couldn't follow what had happened in the western forest, but the mere fact that he had escaped spoke volumes. That accomplishment had become even more impressive when she realized that he had been under a geas the entire time.

And the one he had escaped from...!

She had recognized Berserker on sight (and oh, what a fitting state for an Argonaut - to be reduced to the level of a mindless slave). She felt an unholy glee at the thought of avenging herself upon him...but at the same time, she felt the pangs of true fear. Of all the Servants remaining, he was by far her greatest threat.

Measures would have to be taken to deal with the son of Zeus. The others, she was confident she could defeat on her own.

Confident...but not certain.

With another word, the image in the orb shifted again, to show the other remaining female Servant.

She didn't know what to make of Rider. She felt like she should know her - which automatically afforded the Servant a certain level of respect; anyone from that age was worthy of caution, at the very least - but she did not recognize her.

And she had no idea of how strong she was.

Rider should have been weak. Everything indicated it. Her Master was completely powerless, and her pitiful performance against Lancer should have marked her as an easy target - perhaps even the first to be eliminated.

And yet...Rider had defeated Saber.

The watcher's lip curled at the thought.

What a debacle _that_ had been.

Saber's summoning had crashed upon her without warning. The Servant had emerged in an unsheltered location, with a flare of magical energy that lit up the sky, to her senses, like a midnight sun.

The energy was so intense, it was painful, and it overloaded most of her monitoring spells. By the time she had recovered and could track properly once more, Saber, in company with Archer's Master and a boy who must have been her own, was on her way to the church atop the hill in Shinto.

The wards around that building blocked her vision almost as effectively as the ones overlaying Berserker's forest. She had no idea of what was happening there, and was caught off-guard - again - when Saber emerged from the wards alone, and at top speed.

If only she'd been quicker! By the time she'd realized that Saber's contract had been broken, it was too late. Saber had reached her destination, another heavily warded plot of land.

Saber went in.

And the next day, Rider came out.

The conclusion was inescapable: The Servant of the Sword was gone.

And the watcher's best opportunity in this Holy Grail War had died with her.

She cursed softly.

It was not a matter of victory. Victory was easy, especially with her natural enemy eliminated - but she could have won so much more.

She knew what the Grail was, and how it worked. With Saber, she could have taken _everything._

If only Rider had not taken Saber, first.

She glared at the image of the blindfolded Servant. Small sparks jumped from her fingertips, and she had to fight the urge to leave _right now_ and -

"Caster."

The orb vanished, and she spun around, eyes wide. "Souichirou-sama!"

Her Master stood in the doorway of the darkened room. He regarded her, as always, with an impassive gaze; she had not sensed his presence, and had no idea how long he had been there.

"I am leaving now," he said. "You will be all right by yourself?"

He spoke in an unbroken monotone. For an outsider, it might have been difficult to tell whether he was making a statement or asking a question.

She could tell the difference, though, and she felt her cheeks burn in response.

"I...yes. Yes, I'll be fine." With an effort, she gathered her composure once more. "But please watch yourself, Souichirou-sama. That school is no longer safe, and if something were to happen - "

"If something happens, I will call for you, and you will come."

And that was that.

For this man, it really was that simple.

"Yes...my Master."

She bowed deeply, and did not rise until she felt him depart. When she finally lifted her head, she was smiling.

She had walked the lands of the gods.

She had borne witness to the rise and fall of many kings.

She had performed countless wonders, and committed countless horrors.

But she had never met anyone like Kuzuki Souichirou.

It was so easy for her to forget, at times...and yet, whenever she felt herself slipping, he was there. And just the simple knowledge that such a man was her Master made all the difference.

There was no point in dwelling on the past. She had lost one opportunity - perhaps even the best opportunity - but there would be others. They were already there, if only she knew where to look, waiting to be exploited...and she had the knowledge, the power, and the time to exploit them to the fullest.

She might even find another way to harness the Grail.

_But first, that school..._

And thus, the Servant Caster began to plot anew.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER VII**

**2/4: ALTERED BEAST**

For the twentieth time, Sakura reached for the doorknob.

And for the twentieth time, she hesitated, then pulled back.

She had somehow found a fresh uniform in the wreckage of her room. She was dressed, and ready to go.

She had to leave soon. Nii-san required her presence at morning practice; she could not afford to be late.

But she could feel it.

Saber was waiting, on the other side of that door.

Sakura had been exhausted when her brother finally left her, but even so, her sleep was uneasy, coming in fits and starts. Instead, she'd spent much of the night staring at the ceiling, thinking about what she had done.

She did not think about what had been done to her. That was nothing new; she was used to it, and for all the pain that accompanied it, she couldn't deny that her body's hunger had diminished, for the time being. Even the thought of Senpai learning about it had lost much of its sting - she was a Master, so if she got him back, he was going to cast her out anyway.

What occupied her mind instead was what she had done to her Servant.

She didn't regret protecting her brother. But what in the world had she been _thinking_, to do it that way? She shouldn't have let them get into that position to begin with. Even then, once it had happened, she could have talked Saber down.

She _should_ have talked Saber down.

Instead, she'd used a Command Spell.

After everything Saber had told her, after everything that had happened - everything that had passed between them - she still wasted a Command Spell ordering her Servant not to protect her.

_Stupid!_

They had reached an agreement. They had become Master and Servant in fact, as well as name. And still, Sakura had betrayed her.

Sakura had betrayed Saber.

And now, Saber awaited her, just beyond that door.

She didn't want to go...but there was no more time. She couldn't put it off any longer.

Sakura took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Saber stood against the far wall. Her armor was gone; she'd returned to the blouse and skirt that she'd borrowed the day before. There was a slight twitch as their eyes met, but she gave no other reaction.

Sakura flinched anyway.

"Sakura. You are well?"

Sakura nodded wordlessly.

It was a lie. They both knew it.

"I see."

More uncomfortable silence. What could she say?

"Saber, I - "

"You are leaving for school now?"

The cool tone cut through Sakura's stammering, and she flinched again. "I...yes."

Saber's eyes narrowed. "It is not yet 6:30. Is your school so far away?"

"N-no, that's not it." Saber's eyes narrowed further, and Sakura felt herself break out in a cold sweat. "The archery club has a morning practice," she continued hurriedly. "Nii-san expects me to be there, so..."

For a moment, she thought she'd made a mistake. At the mention of her brother, Saber's jaw clenched, and a dark scowl covered her face.

Sakura took an involuntary step back. She didn't _think_ Saber would attack her - not on purpose, anyway - but even so, she could feel a terrible intent to kill. Directed at her or not, every instinct she had screamed at her to get as far away from her Servant as possible.

"Ah." And then, Saber nodded, and it was all gone, as if it had never existed. "I remember, now; Taiga said that she would see you at practice today. I take it that she is involved with the club, in some fashion?"

Sakura blinked, still trying to push away the urge to run away and hide under her bed, then gave a tentative nod. "Fujimura-sensei is the club's faculty supervisor."

"I see." Saber started to say something else, but hesitated. She frowned, and remained silent.

Sakura swallowed hard. If she waited any longer, she would be late. "Um...well...I'll be going, now."

She half-expected Saber to stop her. She didn't, though. She didn't even move as Sakura walked past her, down the stairs, and out of the house.

She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed by that. She'd half-feared that Saber would try to keep her from going to school, for her own protection.

But Saber hadn't even tried. Could that mean that she no longer _wanted_ to protect her?

It wasn't surprising. Sakura knew only too well that she deserved that. But still, the thought hurt more than she'd expected.

And then, the door opened and closed behind her.

Sakura froze, then slowly turned around. It wasn't really necessary, though; she already knew what she would see.

"Saber?"

Her Servant stood before her, head cocked.

"What is wrong, Sakura? If we do not leave now, you will be late."

"...'We'?"

Saber nodded. "I will accompany you to your club."

Of course.

She should have expected this. She really should have. It was stupid of her to think that Saber would give up protecting her Master; there was no way her Servant - _any_ Servant - could do that.

No matter how disappointing the Master might be.

So if she wasn't going to try to stop her from going to school, then of course she would try to come with her.

"Saber..." Sakura sighed. "Saber, you can't do that. You're not a student; you're not allowed in, and - "

"Do not worry; it is merely necessary for me to see the place where you spend your day. I will leave before classes begin." Saber glanced up the hill. "You should be safe during the day, as long as you stay away from Archer's Master."

_Ugh._ Sakura had forgotten about Tohsaka-senpai. She was an enemy, now. Sakura didn't even want to think about fighting her...but if she wanted Senpai back...

She was surprised that Saber was willing to bend even this far. Was it because she was hiding the fact that she was a Master? Saber couldn't dematerialize, so she had no choice but to leave her during the day. And even if she could take spirit form, Servants could sense other Servants; Saber's presence would give Sakura away to Nee - to _Tohsaka-senpai_, as well as to any other Masters who encountered them.

But that still wasn't enough.

"Saber, that's - "

"Sakura. Unless you wish to use another Command Spell, I _will_ be accompanying you."

Now that was not fair.

She _knew_ Sakura wouldn't use her second Command Spell. Not for this. Not after last night.

In fact -

"Saber...is this...because of what I did?"

Saber nodded.

"...I understand."

If this was how Saber wished to punish her, then so be it. She had every right to do so; Sakura would accept it.

"Sakura?"

But she didn't have to accept it gracefully.

It might have been a little spiteful of her, but she didn't want to talk to Saber anymore. So she headed out without another word, leaving her Servant to catch up.

Saber, perhaps sensing her mood, didn't say anything as they descended the hill. Once they reached the base, Sakura stopped and looked around the intersection.

The police tape was gone. So was the blood. The only remaining signs of anything out of the ordinary were the craters, and even now, city workers were beginning to fill one of them in.

Sakura watched the scene unhappily.

"Senpai..."

There had been nothing of him left here, even before - but at the same time, the crime scene was proof that he'd died here. In a way, it was a monument to his passing.

Now, it was like he'd never existed at all.

Some instinct prompted Sakura to look over, and she saw Saber freeze in the act of pulling back, hand inches from her shoulder. The Servant's eyes widened in surprise.

"Saber?"

"I..." Saber's hand dropped back to her side, and she shook her head. "We should go."

Sakura stared at Saber a moment longer. Then she remembered that she wasn't talking to her right now, and her face hardened. She nodded curtly, then strode down the road to the school.

She slowed as she reached the school gates. Now that she was here, she was nervous all over again.

This was a mistake. Saber was not a student; she would stand out, draw attention to them -

Saber walked right past her, through the gates and into the school.

Sakura's eyes widened. _What is she _thinking?_ If she runs into someone...!_ She hurried in after her, trying to think of an excuse for her presence as she did so.

But Saber had stopped a short distance in, as yet out of sight of anyone. She looked around with a strange expression on her face.

"Saber?"

"This place..." Saber frowned. "Archer's Master permeates it."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. "She's here?"

Saber shook her head. "She is not present. But even so, her magical energy saturates these grounds. For those who can sense magic, it is as if she were an animal, marking her territory."

"Oh." Sakura forced herself not to make a face. She was so used to the feel of Tohsaka-senpai's magic here that it didn't even consciously register anymore. She didn't want to be reminded of it...especially now.

_Marking her territory...isn't that just like her._

"I sense a great deal of Rin, and something of Rider, as well." Saber glanced over. "I do not sense any traces of you here, though. Why is that?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Me? There wouldn't be any. It's - my family's magic, that is - it's...well..."

How could she explain this?

"'Binding and absorption,' your grandfather called it."

"Yes - yes, that's it exactly." Sakura breathed a relieved sigh. "What you're sensing now is the residue from the two years that Nee-s - _Tohsaka-senpai_ has attended this school."

Saber blinked, and Sakura grimaced.

_Damn it! Stupid, careless - _

She hurried on before Saber could question her on the slip. "It's the same for most mages. They...I guess the best way to put it is that they shed a small amount of energy, unless they do something to conceal it. Normally, the more powerful the mage, the more they shed..."

"But you are different."

Sakura nodded. "The Matou...the essence of our magic is to take, and take, and take, without ever giving up anything in return. The crest...our magic crest is greedy. It hoards everything, demands more, and refuses to let the slightest bit of energy escape."

Saber's eyes widened. "So then..."

"We can't be traced the way other mages are. Unless one of us casts a spell, there's nothing for anyone to pick up on." Sakura shrugged. "I've never performed any magic here at school, so there's nothing for you to sense."

"I see." Saber gave Sakura a small grin. "That will be useful, then."

"Not that useful." Sakura shook her head. "That's only my own magic. The Command Spell can be sensed; I have no way to conceal that. And you're..."

Sakura trailed off.

_You're a hot pink neon sign screaming, "MASTER HERE!"_

She didn't say it out loud, but Saber grimaced anyway. "Only Caster would be able to trace me from a distance...but you are correct. And I cannot be near you, so long as you are hiding the fact that you are a Master."

Sakura resisted the urge to scream at her Servant. _So why did you come here?_ She saw the track team emerging from the school, and hurriedly turned away.

"We should go. The dojo is this way."

Saber inclined her head. "Lead the way, then."

To Sakura's relief, they didn't run into anyone else on the way. As they approached the dojo, though, Saber stopped and looked around.

"Sakura, what lies past here?"

"Past here?" Sakura blinked. "Just trees. This school was built against a small mountain, so the back is undeveloped land. No one ever goes there."

"I see..." Saber stared at the woods for a moment longer, then shook her head. "Come. Let us go."

"...Saber, wait."

The Servant turned, and cocked her head.

"Do you have to go inside the dojo? You've already seen everything I can show you of the school. Isn't this enough for you?"

"Enough for me?" Saber blinked. "I do not understand."

Sakura paused. A large part of her - a _very_ large part - wished that she hadn't spoken. It would be so easy for her to just back off, and let the Servant have her fill; she deserved Saber's cruelty, and everything that came with it.

But she couldn't do that. Because regardless of what _Sakura_ deserved, _Saber_ was here first and foremost for the Holy Grail War - and if she went in there...

"Saber...I know why you're doing this, and you have every right to. But if you go inside, it's just going to make things worse. Nii-san is in there" - Saber scowled, and Sakura went on, with increasing desperation - "and Mitsuzuri-senpai - the club's captain, that is - is a friend of Tohsaka-senpai's. If she sees you..."

"...I see. That is indeed a troubling possibility." Saber frowned. "But it does not change our situation. It is necessary that I accompany you inside."

"_Necessary?_" When had she gotten so worked up? Sakura took a shuddering breath, surprised to find herself on the verge of tears. "Saber, please...find some other way to punish me. This...this is..."

Silence.

"Saber?"

"Sakura, what are you talking about?"

"...eh?"

"You are my Master." Saber gave her a puzzled look. "Why in the world would I wish to punish you?"

"What?" Sakura's stomach twisted. "But...but you said...you said that you're here with me now because of last night, and..."

"And so I am. But in what way is that a punishment?"

"But then...why did you...?"

"I told you before: It is necessary for me to see your school." Saber glanced over at the dojo. "And also - "

"HEY, YOU!"

Sakura cringed at the shout. She and Saber turned to face the dojo. There in the doorway, brandishing a familiar shinai, stood Fujimura-sensei.

"Only students and faculty are allowed here!" she continued in a ringing voice. "You're trespassing, you little..." She blinked. "Saber-chan?"

"Taiga." Saber offered her a slight bow, which Fujimura-sensei returned almost automatically. The rest of the club had gathered behind her - Sakura had to stop herself from fleeing when she saw the look her brother was giving her - and now began to whisper excitedly.

"...did she just...?"

"...she did..."

"...beautiful..."

"...who is she?..."

"...what courage..."

"...a foreigner?..."

"...can't believe Tiger hasn't killed her yet..."

Fujimura-sensei whipped around, fixing the students with a lethal glare. "Back to practice - NOW!

"**AND DON'T CALL ME 'TIGER'!**"

The crowd dispersed within seconds.

Fujimura-sensei heaved an exasperated sigh, then turned back to them. "What are you doing here, Saber-chan? Even if Sakura's grandfather asked her to look after you, you're not allowed on school grounds. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I am aware of that fact. I apologize for the intrusion." Saber bowed again, deeper this time. "But I had an urgent need to speak with you, at the earliest possible opportunity."

"With me?" Fujimura-sensei blinked.

So did Sakura.

_What is she...?_

"All right. We can talk in my office." She nodded to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, go ahead and get changed. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Fujimura-sensei disappeared inside, with Saber trailing close behind. They left Sakura standing outside, alone.

She was still standing there when Mitsuzuri-senpai came up to her, some time later. "What was that about?"

Sakura could only shake her head in response.

* * *

The boundary field she had created over the school and its surroundings was inactive, and far from complete.

Still, it was functional, to a limited extent. So when a lone presence breached the field late that morning, Rider sensed it almost immediately.

It was not a student, of course. Leaving aside the matter of whether the act was physically possible for them, no student possessing any measure of sanity would enter the school by descending the mountain behind it. As such, she was not surprised that the presence stopped at the edge of the woods, and did not enter the school grounds proper.

In fact, now that she paid closer attention, she realized that she knew this intruder.

Curious.

Informing Shinji was pointless, so she left his side without a word.

The newcomer, as expected, had sensed her long in advance, and watched her approach without surprise.

"I see." Rider materialized as she drew within speaking distance. "So this is why you accompanied Sakura."

Saber shifted uncomfortably. "I did have other business here...but yes, finding this was my primary goal."

It was obvious, in retrospect. Saber, being unable to take spirit form, could not stay by Sakura's side. At the same time, though, she could not leave her Master unprotected - so it was necessary for her to find a nearby place of concealment. The woods behind the school were ideal in that regard.

"What would you have done, had the school not had an area like this?" Rider asked.

"There were other options. None so good as this one, but they would have sufficed."

Rider nodded, conceding the point. "I am surprised you left at all, then."

"It was necessary." Saber shrugged. "The members of the archery club had to see me depart. Also, there were preparations to be carried out, without delay."

"This other business of which you spoke."

Saber nodded...

"Regarding which you did not see fit to inform Sakura."

...and stiffened.

Rider's mouth tightened. "Any more than you informed her of your search for a hiding place on school grounds."

Saber's eyes widened. "Rider, I - "

"My link to Sakura is muted, due to the Book of False Attendant. But even so, I could readily feel her distress this morning." Rider glared at Saber. "Was that truly necessary?"

Saber glared back at her. "It was."

"Explain."

"My role is to see to Sakura's protection. Everything I accomplished this morning was a means to that end. However..."

"However?"

Saber looked away. "I could not be sure that Sakura would allow me to carry them out."

"...I see."

And she did. Rather than ask beforehand, Saber would present the measures she had taken to Sakura as a _fait accompli_.

"It is easier to ask forgiveness than to seek permission, after all."

Saber winced. "I would not have put it quite like that."

"But that is what you intended."

Saber gave a reluctant nod.

Yes, Rider understood.

"How disappointing."

She understood. But she couldn't approve.

Saber's eyes narrowed. "Disappointing?"

"The lack of trust. If you cannot cooperate with Sakura, then it is impossible for me to cooperate with you."

Rider shook her head, and turned away. "It is unfortunate, but it seems that the best we can hope for is to avoid one another, until the end." She began to walk back to the school building.

"That is fine," Saber called from behind. "I have no interest in cooperating with a Servant who would place Shinji's lusts ahead of Sakura's well-being."

Rider froze.

Slowly, unwillingly, she turned back to Saber.

"I beg your pardon?"

Saber didn't flinch. "You heard me."

Rider had already said everything that she had come to say. But there was no way she could let that pass unchallenged.

"Do you truly think so little of me?" she asked in a low voice.

"It is difficult to think anything else," Saber snapped. "Your loyalty to your Master does you credit, but to carry it to such an extreme is inex - "

"Loyalty to my Master?"

Saber froze in midword.

"No, please, continue." Rider gave Saber a thin smile. "By my Master, you refer to Shinji, do you not?"

She took a step forward, and was gratified to see Saber take an unconscious step back in turn. "The boy who bears the Book of False Attendant."

Step forward.

Step back.

"The powerless whelp who commands me solely by virtue of its possession."

Step forward.

Step back.

"Let us be clear. That is the one you call my Master, correct?"

Saber opened her mouth to speak...but said nothing.

Perhaps it was merely wishful thinking on Rider's part, but she actually looked guilty.

"It would seem that you labor under a grave misunderstanding, Saber." Rider frowned. "The one I recognize as my Master is the one whose body bears my Command Spells. Her, and her alone. No one else commands my loyalty."

"But then, why - "

Rider talked over her. "I obey Shinji because it is my Master's command that I do so. I protect him for the same reason. It is all for Sakura's benefit."

"Benefit?" Saber barked a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "Standing idly by and hindering me while that bastard rapes her is for her _benefit?_"

"Preventing you from slaying Shinji was for her benefit." With an effort, Rider kept her voice level. "Surely you have realized that by now."

Saber glared in response.

"I see." Rider sighed quietly. "It is little wonder, then, that your kingdom is in need of rescue."

Saber went absolutely still.

"And just what," she asked in a careful voice, "is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"There is no special meaning." She was upset? Good. Rider deserved the company. "If you were this foolish in life, then it only stands to reason that - "

She jumped away just in time.

A deep cleft split the earth where Rider had stood. Saber's armor had formed around her, and her hands were wrapped along an unseen haft at the edge of the cut. Saber glared up at her, and Rider felt the familiar weight of her daggers settle in her hands before she consciously realized that she'd summoned them.

But even as Rider braced for combat, Saber's face fell. She released her grip on her sword, and straightened up empty-handed.

"...Saber?"

"I apologize." Saber withdrew a few steps, banishing her armor as she did so. "It is as you say; it was because of my failure as king that I was forced to turn to the Holy Grail. You have every right to look down on me."

Rider cocked her head.

_"Forced to turn"?_

That was an odd way to put it.

It was true that Servants accepted the summons to compete in this battle because they desired the Grail, and its power to grant their wishes. However, that desire was not one that anyone resting on the Throne of Heroes could satisfy by their own powers. The Grail and the Masters kept their own counsel as to who would receive the coveted invitations; no Heroic Spirit, however strong, could simply force her way into the Holy Grail War.

And yet...it would seem that Saber had somehow done just that.

"Rider?"

And she had given away that fact without realizing it.

"I do not look down on you." Rider took a calming breath, and released her own weapons. "However, I am Sakura's Servant, just as you are. For both our sakes, you must think of the consequences of your actions."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that the old man told you of Sakura last night." To Saber's credit, her expression did not change at all when Rider mentioned Zouken. "You should realize that - "

"Shinji can be replaced."

"...eh?"

"As you said, Zouken and I spoke of Sakura last night." Saber stared at the ground as she spoke. "I have thought of another way to...ensure Sakura's sanity." Her face twisted at the words, and she looked up. "Shinji's is not a unique role. You should have realized that there was no need for you to defend him from me on that account."

She still did not understand.

Rider sighed again. "That was not the benefit of which I spoke."

Saber scowled. "Then what is it?"

"You said it yourself, Saber, on the night you first came. It is - " Rider broke off as a bell began to chime in the distance.

"It is time. I should leave, now." She dematerialized, and began to move away.

"Wait! Rider - "

_"Sakura is our Master, Saber. Think on that."_ She nodded to the Servant. _"I will come again."_

Saber did not try to follow her.

As she approached the school building, Rider let her senses stretch out, and took stock of the situation. Yes, there was Sakura, and Shinji was -

Rider stopped.

Well, now. Wasn't _this_ interesting?

* * *

Rin had never been so relieved to hear the lunch bell.

She'd had trouble focusing in class all morning. The lack of sleep and the drain from Archer combined to blend the morning lectures, her plans for the Holy Grail War, her speculations about the other Servants, and her recurring nightmares about Emiya Shirou into an incoherent mess.

The acute hunger didn't help. She should have eaten breakfast, for once.

Saegusa Yukika had approached her desk and invited her to lunch again. The girl had brought an extra bentou this time, and for several seconds, Rin had considered accepting. But the usual gossip had already begun among the girls remaining in the classroom...and she heard someone mention Fujimura Taiga.

Rin was not all that familiar with Fujimura-sensei. But she was acutely aware of one fact - that the teacher was a regular visitor to Emiya-kun's home - and the mention of her triggered a cascade of emotions she was still not prepared to deal with.

So she made her excuses, and fled the classroom for her customary isolated spot on the roof.

But when she arrived, she found that her sanctuary had been violated.

"Yo, Tohsaka."

Matou Shinji lounged against the fencing lining the roof.

"Matou-kun."

Rin tilted her head, inviting him to speak. He didn't, though - just stood there with that aggravating smile - so after a moment, she decided to ignore him. She walked over to her usual place out of the wind, and sat down to eat.

Shinji's grin turned into a scowl. He walked over to where she sat, and glared down at her.

Rin sighed. "Yes? What do you want, Shinji?"

"Oh? What's this?" If he was offended by her sudden brusqueness, he didn't show it. Instead, he grinned. "You seem a bit out of sorts, today. What's wrong?"

Rin closed her eyes, and mentally rebalanced her savings account. It didn't help. "If I were out of sorts," she said, "it would be for my own reasons. It's none of your concern."

"So it's not the Holy Grail War?"

Rin didn't even feel herself move.

She went from seated to standing in the blink of an eye. Her cheap lunch scattered across the rooftop, and she seized the lapels of Shinji's collar in her fists, dragging him down to her eye level.

"Where did you hear about that?" she snarled.

Shinji grinned. "So I was right, after all."

He tried to pry Rin's hands loose. She batted him away with one hand, while tightening her grip with the other.

"I asked you a question, Matou-kun. I would appreciate an answer."

"Come on! Anyone can see that odd things have been happening, lately." Shinji gestured off into the distance. "The murders, the disappearances, the comas...I just happen to have access to an explanation that most people do not."

"You do?" Rin raised an eyebrow.

As a Matou, Shinji might know of the Holy Grail War. He shouldn't have, though. He wasn't the Matou heir; he shouldn't even have known about _magic_, much less the War. How had he found out?

"...Yes, I suppose that's true. You would know, wouldn't you?"

There was no point in pressing the matter. The dynamics of the Matou family were not something an outsider like her should be interfering with.

She released him, and stepped back.

"And? What does that have to do with me?"

Shinji grinned. "Well, now. I can't just leave this alone, can I? I'm sure you can't, either." He stepped in, uncomfortably close. "I want in."

She might have known.

"I believe I've told you before that I don't like it when people stand so close to me." Rin closed her eyes, and sighed. "A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, Matou-kun."

Shinji frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you really haven't thought this through." She glared up at him. He didn't take the hint, though, so she placed a hand on his chest and pushed herself a few steps away. "If you know about the Holy Grail War, then you should know that outsiders are not welcome. This isn't something you can do anything about; if you stick your nose in, you'll be targeted by everyone."

"Why do you assume that?"

Rin blinked. "Huh?"

"You take it for granted that I'm an outsider." Shinji stepped in close again. "But what if I told you that I am a Master, as well? In that case - "

"All right, Matou-kun. Stop right there."

"What...?"

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Do not say another word."

"But, Tohsa - "

"_Shinji._" He shut up, and Rin gave him a thin smile. "Better. Now, I haven't said anything about being a Master, myself. But if I were, and if you were as well, you would not leave this roof alive."

She spoke in a warm, conversational tone. It took Shinji a moment to realize just what she'd said.

When he did, he paled, and stumbled back.

Rin smiled again. "Well, perhaps I misspoke. You _might_ be alive when you left the roof." She glanced over at the fencing. "In that case, it would be the landing that killed you."

"Tohsaka, you - !"

"Do you understand now, Matou-kun? The Holy Grail War is a deathmatch. Masters and Servants kill each other, and anyone else who gets in their way, until there's only one left. You _don't_ brag about it" - she poked him sharply in the chest, and he fell back a step with each jab - "and you _don't_ go out of your way to expose yourself to your enemies."

"But, you - "

"You are right about one thing, Matou-kun. I can't leave this alone." She held up one finger. "If I'm a Master, then of course I want to take out the other Masters, whenever possible. And if I'm not a Master, I'm still the supervisor of Fuyuki City. Ultimately, _I'm_ the one responsible for what those maniacs are doing out there."

Her eyes narrowed. "So either way, it's in my best interests to kill a Master whenever I can...like right now."

Rin stepped forward, and smirked as Shinji scrambled away from her.

"Just imagine, Matou-kun," she murmured. "As a Master, your remaining lifespan can be measured in seconds."

"Tohsaka, wait! I - "

"So it's fortunate for you that you're not a Master."

"...eh?"

Rin stepped back and relaxed. "What are you so surprised about?" It almost looked like he'd thought that she was really going to kill him, there. "I'm Tohsaka, remember? I know all about what's become of your family."

Shinji's face flushed an ugly red. "Tohsaka, that's - "

"You are not a mage, Matou-kun. You have no Magic Circuits. You are incapable of summoning a Servant." She carefully suppressed a flinch as her Command Spell throbbed. "And even if you could somehow manage that feat, you have no way to sustain it.

"So you see, Matou-kun, it is impossible for you to be a Master."

Shinji gaped at her, his face darkening still further.

"I don't know what you were hoping to accomplish with this stupid bluff. But I am telling you this for your own good." Rin took a deep breath. "The world of magic has nothing to do with you. Trying to insert yourself within it will only get you killed, like Emiya-kun. So please - "

"Emiya?"

Rin's eyes widened, and she cursed silently. She hadn't meant to say anything about that.

"What does Emiya have to do with this, Tohsaka?"

_Too late now._

"You saw the crime scene at the foot of the hill yesterday, right? That was Emiya-kun."

"Emiya? That was - " Shinji's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "How did you...?"

Rin sighed again. She was suddenly very tired. "Go home, Matou-kun. Forget about magic. Live a normal life, and be happy."

A moment later, she heard the door to the roof open, then close again. She didn't look up, though.

She had already banished Matou Shinji from her mind.

* * *

Sakura breathed slowly and deeply as she nocked her arrow. She always took care with her breath - the better to clear her mind - but she needed even greater care today.

Her arm pulled back, body flowing into the familiar movement.

Her breath hitched as a fresh bruise on her side made itself known. Her bow wavered; she bit her lip as she struggled to bring it back under control.

"Take a break, Matou."

Sakura started, and almost let the arrow fly. Somehow, she managed to retain her grip, and turned to the speaker.

"C-captain!"

Mitsuzuri Ayako stood before her, arms crossed, with a scowl on her face. A few of the other club members at the afternoon practice looked over, as well.

Mitsuzuri-senpai glared at the others until they resumed their own shooting. Then, she turned back to Sakura. "You're not going to do yourself any good like that. Take a breather, and get your head back together."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm all right, Captain. If I don't keep practicing - "

"If you keep practicing with a botched stance, it'll be worse than if you hadn't practiced at all."

"Eh? Botched - " Sakura looked down at her feet, and her eyes widened in chagrin. It was just as the captain had said. Her stance was all wrong, and she hadn't even noticed.

"See?"

Sakura reluctantly lowered her bow and drew back to the rear wall. She tried to sit properly, Japanese-style, but her legs were having none of it; she was forced to sit back, with her knees curled against her chest.

Mitsuzuri-senpai sat down beside her. "Honestly, what's wrong with you today, Matou? You're never this bad. You were completely out of it this morning, you make novice mistakes this afternoon - it's like..." She shook her head.

It was good luck inside of bad luck that Nii-san wasn't here, for whatever reason. When Sakura performed poorly, it made him look bad, as well...and he took it out on her in turn.

It was better luck that Mitsuzuri-senpai hadn't asked about Saber this morning -

The poke in the side came without warning. Sakura flinched away, hissing in pain.

"That's what I thought."

Sakura flinched again, and not because of the pain this time. "C-captain, I - "

"Save it. I had my suspicions when I saw your eye; I just wish I hadn't been right." Mitsuzuri-senpai sighed. "That Shinji...sometimes, I think Emiya had the right idea, after all."

Sakura touched the bruise below her right eye in surprise. She was so used to the pain, she'd completely forgotten about it. "Captain, I'm not sure what you're thinking, but Nii-san - "

"Look, Matou. You want to protect him. I get that. And I know you've both been trying to keep this in the family, so that outsiders like me can't interfere."

Mitsuzuri-senpai's face took on a stern cast. "But this is affecting your performance in the archery club, now. And that makes it my business. Shinji can't hide behind that excuse anymore."

Sakura's eyes widened in alarm. "Captain, that's - "

"I'm telling you this now, and if you see Shinji before I do, I expect you to pass it on to him: If he hits you again, I'm kicking him out of the club."

Sakura swallowed hard.

Nii-san wasn't going to like this. He wasn't going to like this at all.

"_Matou!_ Your response?"

"Y-yes, Captain! I'll tell him." Maybe she could get Saber or Rider to do it. If he was in a bad enough mood to skip practice... "Captain, do you know why Nii-san isn't here?"

Mitsuzuri-senpai looked over in surprise. "What, you didn't know?"

"N-no, I didn't. He didn't say anything like..."

"Figures." The captain sighed. "Well, I suppose it's better than what he did last time."

"Last time?"

"Tohsaka."

"Tohsaka-senpai?" Sakura blanched. "Nii-san - he didn't...!"

Mitsuzuri-senpai scowled. "He did."

"Nii-san..."

Sakura doubted that anyone in the club would ever forget Matou Shinji's last encounter with Tohsaka Rin. With the event only a few days old, it was even more vivid in memory.

Her brother had approached Tohsaka-senpai, and been rejected in an exceptionally brutal fashion...and then proceeded to take it out on the rest of the club. The ordeal had driven at least one newcomer out of the club altogether, but that hadn't been enough for him; Sakura had borne the brunt of his rage ever since.

And now he'd gone after her _again?_

"I really wish I knew what he was thinking," Mitsuzuri-senapi continued. "When she stops by the dojo is one thing, but going out of his way like that? He should know better."

"Um...what happened?"

"Nobody knows much." Mitsuzuri-senpai leaned back against the wall. "Tohsaka goes up to the roof a lot for lunch, and today, someone saw Shinji go up there, too. When he came back, he looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"Tohsaka-senpai...she didn't...?"

"Who knows? Shinji sure as hell wasn't saying anything, and you know what it's like trying to get a straight answer out of Miss Perfect." The captain shook her head. "But anyway, that's the story. Shinji didn't show up for practice, and if that spares the club a repeat of Thursday, I'm not gonna complain."

She stood up. "At least, I won't complain about _that._ You be sure to tell Shinji what I told you. Got it, Matou?"

"Yes..."

Mitsuzuri-senpai walked away, and Sakura leaned forward, resting her forehead on her knees.

The captain was right. Nii-san knew better - especially now, with the Holy Grail War in full swing. Why would he go out of his way to draw the attention of another Master?

What in the world was he thinking?

* * *

"What am I doing?"

Rin heaved a frustrated sigh. It had been, by all measures, a wasted day; she couldn't do anything about the boundary field, and all her other great plans had collapsed in the face of her unforgiving hunger and Matou Shinji's irritating sneer.

Really - what _was_ that idiot thinking?

And now, with the day ended, she still couldn't think of anything to do. Instead, her feet guided her by force of habit past the departing students, towards the back of the school and the archery range.

There was nothing for her to gain from going to watch the archery club shoot. Still, it was what she always did, and as she'd told Archer Saturday, she had no intention of giving up her regular routine just because she had become a Master.

Had that really been only two days ago?

"I guess I'm an idiot, too."

She gave a rueful chuckle as she approached the dojo. If Ayako ever learned about this, she'd never hear the end of it.

Of course, if Ayako ever learned about this, that would mean that she had somehow learned about magic, as well...which meant that Rin would be forced to kill her. Rin didn't want that, so it was fortunate on multiple fronts that Ayako didn't -

Suddenly, Rin's hand flared up.

"What...!"

She pulled up her sleeve, and looked down in alarm. Her one remaining Command Spell was glowing an angry red, pulsating with uncomfortable heat.

Rin knew what that meant.

"A Master? _Here?_"

_The one behind the boundary field!_

Where was he? She couldn't track him; he was concealing his magical energy, somehow. Had he closed his Magic Circuit, or -

Rin caught a movement in the corner of her eye, and spun away from the dojo.

"The woods?"

She looked carefully at the trees, but saw nothing. Even after Reinforcing her eyes, there was nothing there.

Had it been her imagination? She could have sworn she'd seen a flash of white, but...

"Can't hurt anything to check, I guess." Rin snorted. "Other than my pride, anyway."

She walked past the dojo to the edge of the woods, and took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing._

"Who's there?"

Silence.

There was no response. No movement.

Rin felt more than a little foolish, but there was no helping it. She'd come this far, so - "Come on, I know you're in there. Come out, now!"

Still nothing. Had it been her imagination, after all?

"All right. If you're not going to come out, then I'm coming - "

There was a sharp _snap_ as a branch split underfoot. Rin spun around, Magic Crest charging as she did so...

...and stopped dead.

"You..."

Her face paled, and she fell back as a ghost stepped into the open.

* * *

Saber growled under her breath.

It had been a mistake to stay so close to the edge of the woods. She'd wanted to be as close to Sakura as possible; when Archer's Master appeared, though, she'd been forced to pull back - and Rin had spotted her.

"Saber! But you're supposed to be - how - "

"You should already know the answer to that."

Rin blinked, then shook her head. "Yes, you're right. If you're still alive, then you found another Master, somehow." Her eyes narrowed. "Someone here at school, isn't it?"

Saber cursed softly. Bad enough that Rin had learned of her survival; now, she was trying to figure out her Master's identity.

It was still daylight, and there were others nearby. But she would have to take the risk. She couldn't allow Rin and Archer to escape with the knowledge of -

Wait.

"Who is it, Saber?"

Where was Archer?

"Your Master's the one behind this boundary field, isn't he?" Rin scowled. "I can't believe you, of all people, would be going along with - "

"That has no relevance." _Boundary field? That isn't Rin's?_ Had Rider done something, or...no, that didn't matter. What mattered was the opportunity before her. "Even if I were to answer, the knowledge would be of no benefit to you."

Her armor formed around her with a thought. Rin gasped, and fell back a step.

"Your instincts are strong, Magus. But it was a mistake for you to come here alone."

"Alone - " Rin's eyes went wide.

Saber hefted Excalibur's hidden blade. "Prepare yourself, Master of Archer. Your Holy Grail War ends here."

She stepped forward, drew back to strike...and stopped.

Rin was smiling.

"My War ends here? No, I don't think so."

She'd seen that smile before. It was the same evil smirk Rin had worn two nights ago, as she picked apart Saber's weaknesses - that sinister grin that had thrown Shirou into a panic - !

"No, I'm going to walk away, and you're not going to lift a finger until I'm gone."

She spoke with absolute confidence. Sweat began to bead on Saber's brow.

"What foolishness is this?" she demanded. "Archer is nowhere near here, so how do you expect to - "

"Now, now, Saber." Rin _tsked_ softly, then held up one finger, as if lecturing a student. "Why don't you think about what you just said?"

"What? That Archer is..." Her eyes widened in realization.

"Exactly. Archer. You seem to have forgotten the class of my Servant." Rin smiled. Saber _thought_ she was smiling. She was showing a lot of teeth, anyway. "You're not Caster, so your range for sensing another Servant must be rather limited. What is it - three hundred meters? Four?"

It was two hundred, actually, but she was not about to admit that to Rin.

"Why would _my_ Servant need to be so close by?"

"So you're saying..."

"Archer is watching us, even as we speak." Rin's eyes narrowed. "And he's drawn a bead on you."

Saber grit her teeth. "You...you're serious."

Rin nodded. "One false move on your part, and Archer will shoot."

What kind of a threat was that?

"You have a great deal of confidence in your Servant's power." Saber's eyes narrowed. "Do you really think that a mere arrow will - "

"Of course not! Well, not a _normal_ arrow, anyway." Rin smirked. "A _special_ arrow, on the other hand...?"

_His Noble Phantasm._

"You gamble much, Rin. You will only get a single shot."

"One shot is all I need," Rin replied. "Even if it doesn't kill you, it will still wound you. That will be more than enough for me to get away."

It was a credible threat.

_Too_ credible.

"If that were the case, Archer would have fired already."

To her surprise, Rin nodded. "He wanted to shoot you straight off. But I'd rather avoid that, if I can."

Saber felt a chill run down her spine. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Well, Saber, it's like this," Rin began in a playful voice. "An arrow powerful enough to harm you - well, it can't really be called an arrow anymore, can it?" She smirked. "It's more like...a bomb."

Saber went still.

"Maybe it kills you, maybe it doesn't. I've taken precautions, so I'll survive." Rin gave an exaggerated glance back the way she'd come. "The rest of the school, though...?"

_Sakura!_

Saber glared at her. "You wouldn't."

"I don't _want_ to." The humor dropped from Rin's face. "It would blow my cover, and that would get me in hot water with the Magic Association." She shrugged. "But if it's a choice between exposure and my life..."

"...your life takes precedence."

Rin smiled. "It's nice to be understood."

Saber glared impotently.

"Well, Saber? What will it be?"

She didn't like it. But she had no choice.

Saber grunted in frustration, and stepped back. "Go."

Rin cupped one hand to her ear. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said GO!" Saber spat on the ground. "We will settle this another day."

"I look forward to it."

Rin turned, and walked away. When her figure disappeared beyond the dojo, Saber turned and bolted for the deep woods.

Rin might not want to take the shot. _Archer_ was another story, though, so it was best to remove the temptation.

Once safely under cover, Saber slumped against a tree and let out a relieved sigh.

That had been too close.

* * *

Rin wanted more than anything to run from Saber, as fast as she could. Well, that or fall over on the spot and have a nervous breakdown.

Instead, she forced herself to maintain a steady pace as she walked away.

That had been too close.

"Archer, are you there?"

The response was immediate. _"I'm here."_

"What's your status?"

_"Rin, what's - "_

"Answer the question!"

He sighed. _"Very well. As my reckless Master has ordered, I am in the summoning circle in the basement of your home, healing myself in preparation for a headlong charge against the Master at Ryudou Temple, and - "_

"That's _not_ what I asked."

_"...My wounds are healing. As long as I don't have to go against someone like Saber, there should be no...Rin, what's wrong?"_

Rin started guiltily.

Archer sighed again. _"Rin, you promised me you weren't going to do anything foolish. The boundary field can wait - "_

"This has nothing to do with the boundary field!" Rin caught herself before her voice could rise any higher. Fortunately, there was no one around to hear her. "What if you _do_ have to go against someone like Saber?"

_"That does not seem likely."_ Archer paused, considering the question. _"I think I would have a better chance than I would have last night."_

Rin sighed. "That'll have to be enough."

_"What do you mean?"_

"Wound or no wound, starting tomorrow, you're coming with me to school again."

_"Rin, what's going on? What happened?"_

"I'll explain once I'm home."

She'd been mistaken in her protests. Saber almost certainly _did_ have something to do with the boundary field, now...and her allowing Rin to escape had confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that her Master was someone at the school.

"For now...let's just say that the tightrope didn't burn fast enough."

* * *

"Thanks for the help, Matou."

Sakura shook her head. "It was nothing."

She walked alongside Mitsuzuri-senpai through the empty school grounds. They had been the last two at practice, and Sakura had helped clean the dojo and lock up.

Mitsuzuri-senpai hadn't ordered her to help, but Sakura needed to do _something_ to pay for her failures at practice. Besides, the longer she was at school, the longer she could put off delivering the captain's message to her brother.

The setting sun cast shadows ahead of them, and Sakura's heart sank. She had delayed as much as she could, but that was coming to an end. Soon, she would have to -

They reached the gate, and Sakura's heart nearly stopped.

"Hey. Isn't that...?"

Sakura nodded, afraid to speak.

Saber stood at the gate, watching them approach.

"Sakura."

Sakura suppressed a groan as Mitsuzuri-senpai glanced over at her. If the captain had forgotten who Saber came with this morning, she certainly remembered now.

"Saber."

She couldn't think of anything else to say. Saber waited in silence, while Sakura could feel Mitsuzuri-senpai's stare crawling over her skin.

"Um...you really didn't have to..."

"Worry not. It is no hardship."

What was _that_ supposed to mean?

"Matou, care to introduce us?"

Sakura closed her eyes and breathed a final, silent curse for lost chances. Then, she opened her eyes and bowed to the inevitable.

"Senpai, this is Saber. She's a friend of the family. Saber, this is Mitsuzuri Ayako-senpai. She's - "

"Captain of the archery club, correct?" Saber gave a brief bow. "Taiga has spoken of you a fair amount."

Mitsuzuri-senpai raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried? ...On second thought, don't answer that."

Saber paused midword and nodded. "As you wish."

The captain snorted. "I'm surprised Fujimura-sensei let you get away with that, though. Calling her..."

"It was a matter of convenience." Saber shrugged uncomfortably. "I am unaccustomed to applying honorifics, and Taiga is..."

"Say no more." Mitsuzuri-senpai chuckled. "May as well join the club, then. I won't worry about them if you won't."

Saber nodded. "That is appreciated, Ayako."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She had no idea what to say, and neither of the others had noticed her - so she shrank back, and returned to watching.

"So - what was that about this morning? You came looking for Fujimura-sensei, right?"

"That is correct. However, I cannot elaborate as to what Taiga and I spoke of. It is a private matter."

"Fair enough." A clock chimed in the distance, and Mitsuzuri-senpai started at the sound. "Crap - it's this late already? I need to get home!" She bowed. "It was good meeting you, Saber. Will I be seeing you around?"

"It would not seem likely. I am not a student here, so I will not enter the school grounds in this fashion again." Saber cocked her head. "Still, anything is possible."

Mitsuzuri-senpai nodded without surprise. "All right, then. Take care, you two - and Matou, don't forget what I told you."

Sakura started at being addressed - she'd honestly thought Mitsuzuri-senpai had forgotten about her - then bowed. "I won't, Captain."

"Later!"

Mitsuzuri-senpai waved, then turned and dashed away. In less than a minute, she was out of sight.

"Well then, Sakura. We should be leaving as..." Saber's eyes widened, and her voice died. "Sakura?"

"What was that?"

"W-what do you mean? I do not - "

"Weren't we keeping the fact that I'm a Master secret?" Sakura glared at her Servant. All her anxieties of this morning had returned twofold, and only harshly ingrained force of habit kept her from screaming at the top of her lungs. "Bad enough before school, but now, Mitsuzuri-senpai - I _told_ you she was a friend of Tohsaka-senpai's! If she tells her about you, then - "

"It will only slightly worsen our situation."

"...eh?" The answer was so unexpected, it took Sakura a moment to realize what Saber had said. "Only slightly...what do you mean?"

"That is..." Saber looked away. "That is not a topic we should discuss out in the open."

Sakura looked around. The school grounds were deserted. There was no one here.

"Saber, I don't think - "

"At any rate, we do not have time at the moment. If we do not go now, we shall be late."

"Late?"

Saber did not respond. Instead, she strode away from the gates, leaving Sakura to catch up.

"Saber, wait! Where are you - "

* * *

"Well, here we are."

Rin nodded absently as she looked up at the path to Ryudou Temple.

She wished she could have come here sooner; the damage wrought by the Master and Servant here was already immense. Still, better late than never.

"Are you sure you wish to do this tonight? With Saber still around - "

"All the more reason to do it now." Rin gave her Servant a sidelong glance. He'd been greatly perturbed by the news of Saber's survival - far more than she would have expected. "Saber's new Master has to be the one behind the boundary field at school; when we fight them, I'd rather not have the Master here hanging over our heads."

Archer grimaced. "I somehow doubt that is the case. Still, if that is your wish..."

They approached the long stairway leading up the mountain...then stopped in surprise.

"Archer, do you feel that?"

He nodded.

They were right at the edge of a boundary field - and not a weak one, either.

"Is this Caster's work?"

"No, I don't think so. It feels too old for that." Archer shook his head. "This was raised a long time before the Holy Grail War."

Rin blinked. "That old? So this temple is real, then..." She saw the look Archer was giving her, and glared back. "What?"

"Rin. I hate to think this of the one entrusted with this area, but did you think that this place was merely for show?"

Rin blushed, and glared harder. "Of course I did! They don't have any practicing healers - what else was I supposed to think?" She frowned. "Come to think of it, if they don't have any practicing healers, then what's this temple for, anyway?"

Archer remained silent.

She shook her head after a moment. "Never mind. Can you tell anything about this boundary field?"

"Yes, it's..." Archer paused, then chuckled. "I see. So that's what she's doing."

"'She'? Did Caster make this, after all?"

"No. But she is making use of it."

"How so?"

"This boundary field is actually rather complex," Archer said. "It extends over the entire mountain, and is designed to prevent any spirits not of nature from passing through."

"Spirits?" Rin looked over in alarm. "But then, Servants are - "

"It can't keep us out. However, it can weaken us, to a considerable degree. It is as if there were a Command Spell telling us to keep away."

"That's a strong boundary field." Rin frowned. "But what about Caster, then?"

"As I said, the boundary field covers the mountain. However, it is itself repelled by another boundary field over the temple proper - a dome within a dome. Because of that, on the temple grounds, there is no drain."

Rin snorted. "Convenient."

"In more ways than one."

"What do you mean?"

"The boundary fields keep spirits from outside the mountain out. But they also function to keep spirits on the temple grounds _in_."

Rin frowned. "I'm not following."

"That is because you're not thinking in terms of Servants."

Rin raised one eyebrow, and Archer sighed. "It is true that we can get stronger by consuming the souls of humans. But there's a limit to our capacity. We can only hold so much; once we're topped off, so to speak, any further feeding is pointless. The excess energy would dissipate, and be lost." Archer looked up at the temple. "Our clever friend up there has found a way around that."

"A way around - " Rin gave him an appalled look. "Caster - she's using the temple as a _piggy bank?_"

"Exactly." Archer scowled. "I'd been concerned about how much energy she was drawing from the town. No normal Servant could have stored nearly so much at one time. But this reality might be even worse."

Rin nodded grimly. A mage of Caster's caliber, with a practically unlimited supply of energy? That was not a pleasant thought.

"Well," she said finally, "we'll just have to do something about that. There's an opening, right? The monks couldn't live up there if the fields were completely closed - the air would stagnate."

"You are correct. The opening lies before us."

"The stairs?"

Archer nodded. "The main gate is the opening in the inner boundary field. It extends over the stairs, leading out of the mountain." He turned and looked at Rin. "It's the only way in or out."

"Figures." The Servant would know they were coming, then...but Rin had already expected that. "Well, then - let's go welcome Caster to the neighborhood, shall we?"

It was a slow, cautious advance. They climbed the steps one by one, each watching carefully for traps; they only saw a few, though, and those had already been sprung.

"That's odd. You'd think Caster would have reset these by now, wouldn't you?"

Archer looked ahead and frowned. "That assumes she's had the opportunity."

"What do you - " She stopped, and her eyes widened. She could hear the sound of clashing metal ahead.

"Archer, let's go!"

She charged up the steps.

"Wait, Rin! That's - "

Rin realized her mistake almost immediately - if there was a battle, it was better to spy, first - but kept going anyway. Caster, at least, already knew she was there, and she couldn't chance the other Servant escaping.

It wasn't until they reached the site of the battle, at the top of the stairs, that Rin realized her other mistake.

She'd heard the sound of metal on metal.

That meant the Servants were fighting hand-to-hand.

And that meant -

"Archer."

"Yes?"

"That's not Caster."

"So it would seem."

She recognized the attacker almost immediately. Lancer was moving even faster than when he'd fought Archer; his weapon was nothing but a red blur, and Rin couldn't make it out at all.

And yet, it was met at every turn by a blur of silver, glinting in the moonlight.

"No way..."

Even as the words passed her lips, the combatants sprang apart, and both turned to face her. Archer moved in front of her to guard.

"Yo! Fancy meeting you here, girl." Lancer smiled, and turned to face her fully.

"Yes, I could say the same." She glanced back and forth, trying to keep an eye on both Servants at the same time. But even as she did so, the unknown Servant leaped back, landing atop the gate.

"Wha - "

Lancer glanced back at the other Servant, and gave him a sour look. "Lousy little...you're as bad as _he_ is," he said, with a careless gesture in Archer's direction.

The unknown Servant smiled, but said nothing.

Lancer sighed, then turned back to Rin. "So? What's your business here?"

"The same as yours, from the look of it." If it wasn't Caster, then that meant... "There's a Master here, and I want her dead."

Was it her imagination, or did the Servant atop the gate snicker at that?

"Straightforward, aren't you?" Lancer grinned. "I like that."

"Yes, well..." Rin frowned.

It was an easy decision to make. All the Servants needed to go down, but the one here at the temple needed killing most of all. And in any case, Archer's condition made fighting Lancer right now a very bad idea.

"We both want the same thing, so why don't we work together on this?"

To Rin's irritation, the Servant at the gate only smiled.

"Work together? You and me, against him?" She nodded, and Lancer laughed. "I like the sound of that!"

Rin felt her stomach unclench just a bit. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all. That Servant was alarmingly strong in close combat, but against Lancer and Archer together -

"You make a good offer, girl...but I'll have to decline."

Rin froze.

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Lancer grimaced. "I'd like to, but my Master's a pain in the ass, that's all."

He raised his spear, and the air around him began to freeze. "Sorry, girl." The odd thing was that he really did sound regretful. "I was thinking the punk would be the first one I took out, but I'm not about to pass up an opportunity like this."

_Crap, crap, crap!_

Rin grit her teeth. This was the worst possible scenario. Archer's wounds were not completely healed; there was no way he was up to taking Lancer hand-to-hand - especially not when Lancer had the higher ground.

She glanced at the unknown Servant, still watching with a bemused smile. No help there - this was his home ground, so he'd just wait for them to tear each other apart.

"Archer..."

He grunted. "I know."

It couldn't be helped. If they were retiring from the Holy Grail War here, they might as well go out with a bang.

"Heh...that's a good face you're making." Lancer dropped into a low crouch. "We're going all out now, right? So be sure to make this l - "

He cut off so suddenly, Rin thought someone had hit him with a silencing spell. His head whipped around, and he straightened up to glare at...

...?

"Archer, do you see anything?"

Archer shook his head. "There's nothing there. Nothing I can see, at any rate."

"_What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?_"

Rin jumped as Lancer suddenly began to shout at thin air. His face had darkened, and was growing even darker with each passing second.

"Don't give me that, you sorry excuse for a mage! I followed your damn orders; you don't get to cheat me out of - the Command Spell has nothing to do with this, and you know it!"

"His Master?" Rin murmured.

"That would seem likely," Archer replied, watching as Lancer's eyes suddenly went wide.

"YOU WORTHLESS, CHICKENSHIT FRAUD! If you want me to retreat so badly, why don't you come over here and make me? You and your smug little - _I'll tell you when I've had enough!_"

He looked over, and his mouth stretched in a sudden grin. "Oh? What's this?"

Rin felt a chill run down her spine.

"_Now_ I see. So that's what this is about, isn't it? It's the skirt!" Lancer laughed. "You miserable pervert! You're afraid if I stay any longer, the little lady will figure out what you've been - "

And then, he was gone.

Between one second and the next, Lancer disappeared in a metallic _zip_.

Rin blinked. "Archer, is he - "

"He's gone."

She looked down at her hand. "A Command Spell..."

"It would seem that Lancer and his Master do not get along."

"Worth knowing, I guess." Rin shook her head. "That just leaves..."

Rin and Archer looked up at the Servant standing atop the gate.

"Well." The unknown Servant smiled, and spoke in a refined, cultured voice. "It would seem that my turn has arrived at last."

Rin couldn't help herself. She stared at the Servant, mouth agape.

He was recognizably Japanese - the first Servant of whom she could say that so far. His hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and he wore an indigo haori over a split-leg hakama and kimono of paler shades.

And, of course, there was his weapon.

It was a katana - at least, she thought it was. The shape wasn't right for a great sword, but at the same time, the blade was nearly as long as the Servant himself.

It was hard to believe that he could wield such an ungainly weapon. If it had been his Noble Phantasm, it would stand to reason...but it was not.

Her Master's prerogative showed her all kinds of information on the Servant before her, just as it had about Lancer and his Noble Phantasm. But it showed her nothing about the sword.

That was because there was nothing for it to show her. The katana was not a Noble Phantasm; it had no special properties, or magical energy of any kind. It was just an extremely long, clumsy sword.

Just an extremely long, clumsy sword with which the Servant had fought Lancer to a standstill.

"Who is this guy?" Rin muttered under her breath.

She hadn't expected him to hear.

"Servant Assassin..."

Much less to answer.

"...Sasaki Kojirou."

Rin let out a startled squawk. To just give out his _name_ like that, of all things - !

Archer snorted. "Of _course_ you are."

That drew Rin's attention back to her own Servant. Archer _never_ used that tone of voice, to anyone.

"Archer?"

He grinned mirthlessly. "No, no, if that's what he wants to call himself, then we'll allow him to do so. He is a Servant, after all, and that's what's important."

"That is most kind of you." Assassin smiled. "You are far more gracious than my earlier visitors."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Wait. Visitors, plural? Someone else was here besides Lancer?"

"That is correct, lovely one." Rin blushed in spite of herself, and scowled as he continued. "In truth, yours will be the third Servant to challenge me this night."

_No wonder it was so easy to get up here._

Rin sighed. "Oh well. Now that we're here, you can't let us escape anyway, right?"

But to her surprise, he shook his head. "My orders are only to prevent any intruders from passing through this gate. You have not yet made your attempt; if you wish to retreat, then feel free to do so." He smirked. "I would urge it, in fact. It would be a true pity to have to cut down a flower such as yourself."

Rin felt her face flush even deeper. She glared up at the Servant, and -

"All right. We'll take you up on that offer."

Rin whirled around in shock. "Archer!"

"Are you sure?" Assassin merely smiled. "It would seem that your Master has a different view."

"This is true." Archer didn't even bother to look at her, keeping all his attention on Assassin. "And as my Master, she can command me to attack now, if she wishes. And if she does..."

"If she does?"

"I will refuse that order."

It was a testament to Assassin's composure that he didn't fall off the gate.

Rin, though, blinked, then stared.

Thanks to the first Command Spell she'd so rashly used, Archer had a strong compulsion to obey her orders. Disobedience would reduce his power a full rank. He couldn't possibly be insane enough to risk that in a combat situation.

Which meant that he wasn't serious. He was communicating his unease with the situation to Rin - how strongly he felt that they shouldn't fight, now.

Well, that or he just wanted to piss Rin off by blackmailing her in the middle of a fight. She wouldn't put that past him, either.

She sighed. "All right. We'll leave for tonight."

Assassin responded to that by dematerializing from his place atop the gate.

Rin and Archer exchanged a glance, then turned and headed back down the mountain.

She managed to contain herself until they'd left the boundary field behind. It was a close thing, though.

"All right. What the _hell_ was that?"

Archer raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look, you smug little...! If you backed out just because the Servant was Assassin instead of Caster - "

"There was a bit more to it than that." Archer frowned. "You recognize Assassin's name, I hope?"

"He was Musashi's rival, wasn't he?"

Archer nodded, and began to walk. "Or at least, a character adapted for that role."

"What do you mean?" Rin frowned. "Half the Servants in the Holy Grail War come from mythology. It's the people's belief in them that elevates them to Heroic Spirits, so why would that make a difference?"

"He's a character in _Musashi's_ myth, for one thing. And he's not even that big of a character - he wasn't mentioned in the Book of Five Rings at all." Archer glanced at her. "You must have noticed that while he held off Lancer, it was done purely by skill. He has very little power of his own."

Rin nodded. "I did notice that, but what of it? He's a weak Servant, so he has a really crappy Master. That doesn't mean - "

"Could a poor Master have managed to do what the Master up there is doing to the town?"

Rin froze in midword.

"It doesn't add up. And that isn't the biggest problem, either."

Was this what it felt like for others, trying to keep up with her? Rin gave him a bemused look. _The Servant most like me...it's possible, I guess._ "So what's the biggest problem?"

"If Sasaki Kojirou was going to be summoned for the Holy Grail War, it should have been as Saber, not Assassin."

Rin blinked. Then she blinked again.

Rerunning the words through her mind made no difference. They meant the same thing as they did the first time around.

"Okay, Archer, you've lost me. Where did you get that idea?"

"We Servants go by our class names in order to avoid exposing our true identities. We are able to do so because many different Heroic Spirits might qualify for each class.

"Assassin, however, is the exception to this. His identity never changes."

Rin stared at Archer in disbelief. "Wait. How is that even possible? You can't summon the same Servant twice! Well, Saber was summoned twice, but she's an exception, so how - "

"I never said the same Servant was summoned."

Now Rin was getting annoyed. "Would you make up your mind? You can't have it both ways - either it's the same Servant, or it isn't! Which is it?"

"It's both." Rin growled deep in her throat, but before she could act, Archer went on. "What if I were to tell you that there exists a succession of Heroic Spirits, all of whom have the same name?"

"Succession - "

Rin's eyes went wide.

She should have realized it sooner. It was a contradiction for there to be a Servant Assassin. Assassins thrived in anonymity; it was impossible for any such individual to be revered as a Heroic Spirit. Only a group was capable of garnering the necessary prestige...slowly, over a very long stretch of time.

And of those capable, only one such group had actually managed the feat.

"The Hashshashin," she breathed.

Archer nodded. "The world's foremost assassins, who lent their very name to the profession. Nineteen led that sect in turn - and each cast away his own identity to take on that of their founder."

A cold wind blew as they walked.

"The specific Heroic Spirit summoned in the role may change. But the Servant Assassin is always the Old Man of the Mountain, Hassan Sabbah."

"But then - hold on." Rin turned, and looked back at Ryudou. "If Assassin is always Hassan Sabbah, then who was _that?_"

"The Servant Assassin, Sasaki Kojirou."

Rin gave him a flat look.

He chuckled. "I'm not trying to be difficult. But that is why I wanted to withdraw, for now." He frowned. "Someone other than the proper Assassin was summoned. Something very strange is going on, and we need a better idea of what it is before we take on that temple by ourselves."

Rin glared at him, but could hold it for only a moment before she dropped her head with a sigh. "All right. I was hoping we could finish that one quickly, but you're right. We need more information."

"Well, the night was not a total loss." Archer shrugged. "We learned quite a bit about what Assassin's Master has been up to, and Lancer..."

He trailed off, and they exchanged a look.

Lancer hadn't moved that fast against Archer, and they both knew it.

"He was holding back."

Archer nodded. "That's the conclusion I reached, as well. The only question remaining is why."

It was almost the only question remaining. Rin pondered the other as they returned home.

_I wonder who else challenged Assassin tonight?_

* * *

"Sakura, I'm coming in!"

Shinji did not wait for a response before he threw the door open. He never did - and at the moment, he was even less eager to hear his sister's puling voice than usual.

He stormed into Sakura's room...and stopped dead.

"Wha - "

The room was exactly how he had left it.

A total wreck.

_Grandfather - he didn't - _

"Why is this - Rider, what's going on?"

Rider materialized beside him, and looked around.

"The closet has been stripped bare, and the clothes that were in the dresser are gone. Beyond that, the room has not been touched."

Shinji spun, and punched Rider across the face.

"I can _see_ that, you worthless...!"

Rider remained with her head turned by the blow. She did not respond, and Shinji's anger grew even greater.

"Fine. Stay there, then - that's all you're good for, anyway!"

He stalked back into the hallway, leaving Rider behind.

Everything had gone wrong for him today.

He'd had _plans_. By now, Tohsaka should have become his ally, trusting her back to him so that he could stick a knife in it.

Instead, he'd been violently rebuffed. She'd refused to acknowledge even the possibility that he might be a Master...and worse still, her mind was somehow on Emiya, instead.

"Sakura! Get out here!"

He couldn't accept that. Tohsaka looking down on him was to be expected; it was just what a mage should do. He'd been prepared for that. He'd _wanted_ that - it was what made gaining her favor worthwhile.

But _Emiya?_

That couldn't be allowed to stand. He had to be better than Emiya. He was a Master. That made him _special._ He had to be better, so Emiya couldn't be involved in this.

It didn't matter that he was dead, now. If anything, that only made it worse - not only had Emiya stolen his unique place as a Master, he had then fled to the safety of the grave, so that there was no way for Shinji to get retribution.

In his fury, Shinji had left school early, and ordered Rider to find a Servant to kill. If he couldn't take down Emiya, then he would act like a Master, and make Tohsaka acknowledge him that way!

But Rider couldn't even do _that_ right...much like her summoner.

"Where are you hiding, you stupid slut?"

There was a witch at Ryudou Temple. Rider had told him so. That meant that Rider had learned it, somehow.

So how was it that they never even _made_ it to her?

It was insulting enough that Rider actually suggested that Shinji stay behind - how was he going to be acknowledged as a Master, if no one knew that she was his Servant? - but then she insisted on taking the main stairs. She wouldn't even consider going up the mountain another way.

And sure enough, they'd been met at the top by a Servant who effortlessly repelled every assault Rider made, without even moving from his spot atop the temple gate. He actually started _flirting_ with her while they fought!

And then, to top it all off, when he did finally descend, drawing back his oversized katana for a strike, Rider didn't take advantage of his voluntarily coming within her range. Instead, the coward had grabbed Shinji, and fled.

"Miserable, worthless - !"

And now, to cap off this _perfect_ day, Sakura was nowhere to be found.

It was with great reluctance that Shinji finally made the trek to the basement. He didn't want to be there - didn't want to see what was there, or hear it, or smell it - but if Sakura was in training...

But she wasn't.

The only one there was his grandfather, standing among the worms.

"Shinji." The old man smiled unpleasantly. "What is it?"

Shinji swallowed hard. "I...it's Sakura. I couldn't find her, so I thought that..."

He trailed off as Zouken began to laugh.

"Ah, yes. I hadn't told you, had I? Sakura is gone."

"...gone?"

"Her Servant insisted." Zouken cocked his head. "She thought there would be a better chance of protecting her away from you."

"She's...gone?"

"Saber found a base, so I gave her my permission. Sakura will be staying there until the end of the Holy Grail War."

Sakura...was gone? It made no sense. Even if Saber wanted it, what good would that do? Sakura wasn't interested in fighting, so why -

"Emiya."

And everything fell into place.

Sakura's excursions last night. Her constantly moving around. Saber showing up at school this morning. And now, Sakura moving out.

Yes. It all made sense.

Emiya had beaten him again.

"_That traitor!_"

He turned, and sprinted out of the basement, with his grandfather's mocking laughter behind him. He didn't care; he was focused on Sakura's room, and the Servant waiting for him.

He didn't slow down, and was breathing heavily by the time he got there.

"Shinji? What is - "

Rider cut off with a gasp as Shinji grabbed her by her hair and swung her around, slamming her head against the wall.

"You knew!" he shouted.

"What - "

"She's gone!" Shinji slammed her head against the wall again. "Sakura's gone!" And again. "That worthless slut decided to fight, _and you knew about it!_"

Rider did not answer.

"Didn't you? _DIDN'T YOU?_"

"...I did."

And for Shinji, that was the last straw.

With an enraged howl, he yanked Rider by her hair once more, dragging her across the room and hurling her onto Sakura's bed.

"Traitors! Traitors and weaklings! You're all against me!" Shinji looked around, eyes wide. "Well, I'll show you! I'll show her! I'll show them! _I'll show everyone!_"

He advanced on the bed with a furious, lust-tinted glare.

Rider did not resist.

* * *

"Good night, Sakura-chan - _burp_ - Saber-chan. I'll see you at breakfast!"

Sakura numbly nodded back to her teacher. It was all she could do.

It was all she'd been able to do for much of the evening.

Somehow - Sakura was still not sure how - Saber had convinced Fujimura-sensei and her grandfather to let them move into the Emiya household until Senpai came back (Sensei) or the Holy Grail War ended (her grandfather).

They amounted to much the same thing. By the end, either Sakura would have used the power of the Grail to bring Senpai back from the dead...or Sakura would be dead, herself.

Sakura had learned these things when Saber had brought her here - with all of thirty seconds to absorb it before Fujimura-sensei descended on the pair, demanding to be fed.

Sakura recalled cooking. She recalled eating. She recalled talking during the meal. But for the life of her, she couldn't recall what she'd made, or how it had tasted (she didn't _think_ there had been any complaints) or what they'd talked about. She'd been wholly preoccupied with adjusting to the idea of living here, without Senpai.

Now, as they watched Fujimura-sensei amble away, humming a cheerful tune, Master and Servant turned to each other.

"Sakura. How do you feel?"

"How do I...feel?"

And Sakura found herself growing angry.

"You invite yourself to my school...you let yourself be seen by Mitsuzuri-senpai..._twice_...you drag me here without any warning..._and you want to know how I feel?_"

"Yes." Amazingly, Saber took that question at face value. "It is my role to protect you. For that, it is necessary for me to know - "

"If you're protecting me, YOU'RE DOING A PISS-POOR JOB OF IT!"

Saber jumped at Sakura's sudden roar. Her eyes widened, and her face paled as she saw just how upset her Master really was.

"Sakura, please calm down! I - "

"I _AM_ CALM!" Sakura closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I am calm."

She opened her eyes again, and glared at her Servant. "You promised me an explanation, Saber. It had better be a good one."

Saber nodded. "Let us return to the living room, then. This is a conversation best had seated."

Sakura gave Saber a suspicious look. "All right."

The table had been cleared of dishes. (When had Sakura done that? _Had_ Sakura done that? She didn't think Saber or Fujimura-sensei would, but... She couldn't remember.) Sakura sat down, and gestured for Saber to join her.

Saber hesitated. "This is likely to be a lengthy conversation. Shall I make some tea before we begin?"

_Since when can Saber make tea?_

Sakura blinked, then shook her head. She couldn't let herself get distracted.

"No more delays. Sit down and explain yourself."

Saber grimaced, but sat.

"Where should I begin?"

Sakura gestured to the house around them. "How about with this?"

"Very well." Saber took a slow breath. "I decided after our...conversation...last night that it would be best if we left that place."

"Because of Nii-san?"

Saber's face was hard and impassive, and Sakura felt some of her anger melt into worry.

"Saber, that wasn't all Nii-san's fault. It - "

"I know. Zouken explained." Saber's face hardened even further, if that was possible. "In detail."

Sakura's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed in humiliation. She'd known that she would have to tell Saber about that, eventually. But for her to learn like that - !

But Saber continued. "Still, that was not the only reason."

"What do you mean?"

"That confrontation made it clear that Rider and I are not capable of cooperating with one another. And that is doubly true in the case of Shinji."

She held up one hand, forestalling Sakura's protest. "I will not attack him. You have expended a Command Spell to that end, and I promise you that I will respect your wishes in that regard. However, neither will I aid him, under any circumstances. I cannot trust him with my back, and I refuse to trust him with yours."

Sakura understood. Still, she tried to change Saber's mind.

"Nii-san wouldn't - "

"You already know this, Sakura. It is why you wished to conceal your change of heart, is it not?"

Sakura blinked in surprise.

It wasn't, actually.

She didn't want to hurt her brother with the knowledge. She hadn't thought any further than that.

But afterwards - what would he do then?

She was forced to admit that her Servant was right.

"Had this not been the case," Saber continued, "it would have been more advantageous for us to remain at the Matou household. I would have been a hidden trump card in the event that an enemy Master sought to storm Rider's base." She shook her head. "As it is, though, my presence would only cause conflict between Rider and myself, resulting in the defeat of us both."

Sakura nodded reluctantly. She could understand what Saber was saying.

"But why here, though? Surely there must have been other places...?"

"I would have urged that we move to this location eventually, in any case."

Sakura's mind froze.

_Move here...eventually? Even if Senpai was still - _

She gave Saber an angry look, and the Servant hurriedly continued. "My summoning circle is here, and while this house has no active defenses, it does have a very strong passive boundary field, tied to an alarm. We will suffer no ambushes in this place. Also..."

Saber made a face, as if she had just bitten into something sour.

"What is it?"

"This is a place that you visit regularly. With Shirou's...disappearance...it will raise no suspicions that you would choose to watch over it until his return."

Sakura flinched.

She couldn't help it. It was not something she liked to think about in any case, and the cold calculation of Saber's explanation was appalling.

Which didn't make that cold calculation any less correct.

"All right. If I accept that - that was why you were talking with Fujimura-sensei this morning, right?"

Saber nodded.

"Then why did you have to come to school and expose yourself to everyone to do it?"

"With Shirou gone, there would be no more mealtime gatherings here. I could not be certain when, or if, I would encounter Taiga again. Thus, exposure to the archery club was an inevitable occurrence."

Saber paused. "Also, there was another purpose in my coming to the school."

"Which was...?"

"I needed to scout for hiding places on the school grounds."

"Hiding - " Sakura stared, uncomprehending. "Why?"

"While your best protection at school is anonymity, the fact remains that there is a chance of your being exposed, and attacked. You have already used one Command Spell; it is to our benefit if I am close enough to come to your aid in such an instance without you having to burn a second."

And with that, the last of Sakura's anger drained away.

She understood. And the understanding shamed her.

The role of the Servant was to protect the Master. In cooperation with the Master, when possible; in spite of the Master, when not.

Saber had been doing nothing more than what Sakura herself should have been doing. She had sought to secure the greatest possible advantage for them in the Holy Grail War - and she had succeeded, in spite of all Sakura's self-centered efforts to hinder her.

_No wonder Senpai summoned her._

Saber deserved a better Master than Matou Sakura.

Saber, though, took no notice of Sakura's bitter expression. Her head was bowed, and her face twisted in a grimace. "At least, that was my thought."

Sakura looked up. A chill washed over her body at Saber's words. "What do you mean?"

"Fortune was not with us this day, I fear. I was spotted this afternoon...by Archer's Master."

Sakura's blood froze.

"Tohsaka-senpai?"

_Why her? Of all the possible people, why_ her?

"What - how - "

"I have no excuse." Saber wouldn't meet Sakura's eyes. "I had taken up position in the woods behind the school. From there, I had thought I could keep an eye on the school, while staying out of Archer's range of detection."

Sakura nodded slowly. It was a good plan, as far as she could see. Even if the result was bad, she would have come up with the same idea, if not something worse.

At least, she would have if she had been acting like a Master, rather than a spoiled brat.

"What went wrong?"

"I moved too close to the edge of the woods." Saber's voice was dull with self-recrimination. "You had begun your club's practice, and I wanted to stay as close to you as I could. I was counting on Archer's presence to warn me if Rin came near...but she came alone, with Archer covering her from beyond my range. I did not sense anything until it was already too late."

Sakura's eyes widened. "What then? You didn't attack her, did you?"

She hadn't felt anything like Saber fighting today. Well, there had been that small flare just before lunch, but -

"No. With you nearby and unaware, the potential for you to be injured in the conflict was too great."

Saber pushed away from the table and bowed deeply. "Forgive me, Master. I was forced to let Rin escape with the knowledge of my survival."

"I...it's all right. Don't bow like that; there was nothing you could have done." As Saber straightened, a thought occurred to Sakura. "Is this why you said it didn't matter if Mitsuzuri-senpai told her about you?"

Saber nodded.

"But Mitsuzuri-senpai saw us _together_. How can you say that doesn't...?"

"Rin did not come there looking for me, Sakura. We spotted each other at the same time. Her original destination was the dojo."

"And?"

"_And?_" Saber gave her an incredulous look. "Sakura, she had to have been there for _you_. I fear she has somehow figured out that you are a Master, and..."

She trailed off as Sakura shook her head.

"Saber, Tohsaka-senpai has been coming to watch the archery club practice since before I joined." That was a small lie, but it couldn't hurt. It didn't change the point she was making. "It's a normal routine for her; it had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War."

"You are sure?"

"Positive. Tohsaka-senpai wasn't there for me; she couldn't be. That would be - "

Wait.

"...Sakura?"

She shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She glanced at the clock, and stood up. "It's getting late. Do you want to take a bath first, or...?"

"It would not be proper for me to bathe before my Master. I will wait here until you are done."

Sakura nodded, and headed for the bath.

It was not until she was safely in the water that she allowed herself to relax, and to tremble even through the heat.

Sakura had remembered.

Normally, even though Tohsaka-senpai came to watch almost every day, she would never approach Sakura directly. She couldn't; it was forbidden.

But it was also forbidden, for the same reasons, for Tohsaka Rin to visit the home of Emiya Shirou. Just as it was forbidden for Matou Sakura to go to the church atop the hill in Shinto.

In spite of that, though, Tohsaka-senpai had come to Senpai's house. And Sakura had gone to the church.

And Sakura had remembered the priest's words.

_'The agreement between your families is suspended during the War.'_

And those words had reawakened a small hope, one she'd long thought dead.

"Stupid...stupid...stupid..."

She rebuked herself, as she always did. But this time, she couldn't find any heat for the words.

When she was sold to the Matou, Sakura had lost much - had lost _everything_, retaining only an empty shell of resignation until the day that Senpai had restored her - but the last thing she had lost was a dream.

It was a small dream, the kind that only children and the truly powerless could possess. Sakura, being both child and powerless, had clung to it far longer than she had clung to anything else.

But at last, it too had slipped away. And when she regained herself, it did not return.

By that time, Sakura knew better. No one would come to save her; it was far too late for that.

And yet, even through Sakura's lost years, the core of that dream had remained.

"Nee-san."

Even here, in the privacy of the bath, she could only breathe the name in a faint, tentative whisper, and even then only once. It felt as if uttering the words was to risk shattering the dream, leaving her hopes stillborn.

But still, however softly, she had said it. She had acknowledged it. And with that acknowledgment came a tacit permission to hope.

A permission Sakura had denied herself for nearly eleven years, even as she wore the same ribbon in her hair each day.

_Is it possible?_

Could she really be trying to...?

* * *

__

It happened late that night.

There were no witnesses; everyone in the castle was asleep, even the maids and Berserker. Even if they had been awake, they would not have been there, for no one went to the storage room on the fourth floor any more.

There was no longer any reason to do so.

Ilya had been the last to visit the living corpse, and while disappointed, she was still satisfied with what she had found. There was no further point in coming to play with him; he could no longer react, and compared to what he now endured, any tortures she inflicted on him would be as meaningless as pouring a thimbleful of water into the ocean. As long as she stayed alive and maintained the spell, her revenge on the house of Emiya was complete.

Even if someone had been there, it would not have mattered. The restoration was a trifling one; it was nothing that could have been noticed, or detected, or prevented.

There was not enough energy for anything so grand. There would not have been enough even if another six months were allowed to pass, or another sixty.

But for this, what had been gathered was sufficient.

Nothing visible was altered. The corpse remained a corpse. The wounds remained wounds. The body remained broken, and the consciousness within remained in unending torment.

But still, the first threshold was crossed.

And between one instant and the next, the mind of Emiya Shirou awoke once more.

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	8. Feb 5: Murphy Ascendant

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

This story is normally archived in .txt and .html format at my website, the Codex Scribanus. However, at present, the Codex is without a home, having been caught up without warning in 110 MB's overzealous purge of any sites containing so much as a passing reference to sexual content. I am still searching for a new host, and would welcome any suggestions my readers might have along those lines.

When the Codex is back up, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, as well as my LiveJournal (see profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Much gratitude goes once again to my pre-readers three, Elf, Kami, and Shack. This story would not come nearly so close to being readable without their hard work.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

The king watched with a sour grin as the boy and his Servant left the house.

Both seemed to be in a foul mood, albeit for different reasons. He didn't care, either way; the important thing was that they were gone, and would not get in his way.

There was a problem, though.

They should not have been the only ones to depart.

He waited with growing impatience as the minutes ticked by and the sky grew lighter. Where were they? Saber and the false vessel should have left by now; he couldn't enter the house until they were gone.

Of course, that was not to say that they could have prevented him from entering. The very idea was laughable. It was almost as amusing as her expression would be, when she saw him...but therein lay the problem.

The time was not yet right for their reunion. If he ran into Saber now, this entire exercise would be meaningless; she was not his business here, this day.

At least, not directly.

He scowled.

The problem of the false vessel had plagued him for a day and two nights, ever since that fool girl had shown her face at the church.

Before that, it had been a simple matter. Another had sought to co-opt his Holy Grail by creating a counterfeit to take the place of the Einzberns' vessel. Kill the counterfeit, and the problem would go away.

But that was no longer an option.

Somehow, the counterfeit had gotten her hands on Saber. Killing her now meant killing Saber, as well - and that was not acceptable.

Saber belonged to him.

The Holy Grail belonged to him.

They were both _his_ property, and no worthless mongrel would force him to choose between them!

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a clock chiming in the distance. It was now the eighth hour of the morning. The sun was well overhead; school had begun - and neither Saber nor the girl had left the house.

What was going on? If they were going to just hide away in the house, they would have started long before now. So why had they not left already, unless -

He paused, then smirked.

Unless they weren't there to begin with.

The lawn was filled with worms. The loathsome black parasites milled about, with no particular purpose or destination; yet at the same time, every one of them was watching him.

He'd always known they were there, of course; it was unthinkable that they could escape the sight of a great hero such as himself. But now, in the light of day, even the worthless trash infesting this city could spot them without difficulty.

This was a message from the worms' master.

His presence was no secret to the one within. If Saber were here, she would have attacked him already.

So without any further hesitation, he strode across the lawn, crushing worms underfoot with every step, and threw open the front door. Sure enough, the house was empty.

Almost empty.

Just as he had planned.

The answer to his dilemma was almost as simple as his original solution had been. The false vessel was weak; left to her own devices, she could not overtake the pull of the legitimate Grail. If she was to steal the fallen Servants, she would need help.

He had come here today to eliminate that help.

The stench of the worms led him unerringly to the second floor, and from there down the hidden staircase to the basement crypt.

And there at the bottom, in the midst of the worms, stood his target, waiting patiently.

"So, it _was_ you." The one he had come for croaked a rusty laugh. "I thought as much."

He descended into the worms, and the old man laughed again. "Well, it cannot be helped. It is for my granddaughter's sake, after all."

Matou Zouken cocked his head, and offered a crooked grin. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you a bit."

And Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, smiled.

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER VIII**

**2/5: MURPHY ASCENDANT**

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong? You're not eating."

"Eh?" Sakura blinked slowly, then her eyes widened as Fujimura-sensei's words registered. "Oh! Right. Eating..."

She blushed, and began to eat breakfast, doing her best to ignore the teacher's gaze. It wasn't easy - especially when she was also trying not to look at her other tablemate.

She hadn't been able to meet Saber's eyes since she'd woken up this morning.

Sakura did not dream often, and such vivid dreams were rarer still. The odds of it being a coincidence that she'd had such a dream now - and one featuring her Servant, no less - were remote indeed.

It had been the aftermath of a battle. In the dream, Saber stood a small ways apart, victorious, looking down on the fallen.

Sakura hadn't wanted to look. The sight was unpleasant, the stench was worse, and the sounds of the wounded and dying were the worst of all. But Saber would not turn away...and thus, Sakura could not, either.

She could only watch as her Servant stared down at her handiwork, and silently accepted the curses and hatred of those she had destroyed.

It was not something Sakura should have seen. She didn't know how to stop the dream, and she couldn't forget about it.

All she could do was hide that she had witnessed it.

"More, please."

Sakura took Saber's bowl and refilled it with rice, then handed it back without looking up.

Fujimura-sensei sighed. "Saber-chan, too! What's with you two, this morning?"

_Saber?_

Sakura looked up in surprise. Saber had frozen in the motion of bringing her chopsticks to her mouth. Her eyes were opened wide, and fixed on Fujimura-sensei, who was giving Saber a suspicious look in return.

"Nothing happened after I left, did it?"

"No, nothing." Fujimura-sensei leaned in, and Saber hurriedly shook her head. "Really! I just didn't sleep very well last night, that's all."

"Insomnia? That's it? How boring." Fujimura-sensei pouted, and sat back with a disappointed sigh. "Oh, well. I guess it can't be helped; it was your first night in a new place, after all."

"Yes, that is likely the case."

Sakura froze for half a second, then forced herself to look away. She knew that particular tone of voice all too well.

Saber was lying.

Fujimura-sensei didn't seem fooled, either. She frowned as Saber went back to eating, and opened her mouth to speak - then stopped, and gave Sakura a sharp look.

It was easily understood. Saber was Sakura's responsibility; she should be the one to talk to her.

Fujimura-sensei set down her chopsticks and stood. "Thanks for the meal, Sakura-chan."

"Sensei, you're leaving already?"

"Yeah, I need to finish today's lesson plan. Don't be too late, now." She gave a slight nod in Saber's direction.

Sakura's eyes widened, and she nodded in return. "Yes, Sensei! I'll see you at practice."

"Actually, Sakura, about that - "

"Great! See you then, Sakura-chan." Fujimura-sensei turned to Saber, and held up one finger in a mock scolding. "Saber-chan, don't go wrecking the house, now!"

Saber gave her an impassive stare in return. Fujimura-sensei laughed, and walked out of the room; a moment later, they heard the front door open, then close again.

Saber turned to Sakura, and Sakura flinched and looked away. She still couldn't bring herself to meet Saber's eyes.

"Sakura."

She swallowed hard. "Yes, Saber?"

Saber held out her empty bowl. "More, please."

* * *

They finished breakfast in silence. Saber was wholly focused on her food, while Sakura snuck uneasy glances at her.

Afterward, when Sakura took the dishes to the kitchen to wash, Saber followed her.

"Sakura, may I continue our conversation from earlier?"

"Conversation?" Sakura didn't look up from the sink. "What conversation?"

"I wanted to speak with you regarding the archery club."

"Oh? What about it?"

"I would like for you to leave the club for a while."

Sakura's head jerked up, and the bowl she was washing slipped from her hands. Fortunately, it was over the sink, so it did not break; it only rolled around with a loud clatter.

"What?" She stared at Saber, dream forgotten for the moment. "But why - "

"I have judged your attendance to be an excessive risk. It would be better if you did not expose yourself unnecessarily to your enemies."

"Enemies..." Sakura swallowed. "Tohsaka-senpai?"

"I am concerned about her, as well." Saber nodded. "You said yourself that she comes to watch your club's practice on a regular basis. Even if she does not suspect you at the moment, close contact is a danger we cannot afford. The more often Archer's Master is near you, the better the chances that she will find you out."

But if she didn't see Tohsaka-senpai, then - "Won't it be suspicious if I suddenly drop out of the club? I'm not the best at it, but I _do_ practice - and Nii-san..."

What would he say, if she did something like that?

Saber grimaced. "I will not pretend to understand your concern for that boy's opinion. But surely your move into Shirou's house would be a plausible excuse?"

"Not that plausible." Sakura shook her head. "I was over here so much as it was...moving in isn't that much more than what I was doing already."

"But not out of the realm of possibility."

Sakura sighed. _She's not going to give up on this, is she?_ It couldn't be helped. "All right, how about this? I'll stop going to the practices after school. Tohsaka-senpai almost never comes early, so there's almost no chance of her being at morning practice."

"'Almost.' I do not like that word." Saber scowled. "The implications are...not reassuring."

"Saber, please. I need to do _something._" Sakura held up her bare hand, where Rider's Command Spells were hidden. "I can't fight in the Holy Grail War without putting Nii-san and Rider in danger. Senpai's not here, and I can't even...!"

She stopped herself and took a calming breath. "Please, Saber. At least let me keep this."

Saber did not answer right away. She gave Sakura a careful, measuring look; Sakura forced herself not to move under her gaze.

Finally, Saber nodded. "Very well. Morning practices only."

Sakura exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Saber."

Saber shook her head. "There is nothing for which you need thank me, Sakura. Your safety is my responsibility."

They left the house together, and started down the same road. But they separated almost immediately.

Sakura soon lost sight of her Servant. Still, she could feel her watchful eyes covering her, all the way to the school gates.

* * *

"Shinji, are you listening to me? _Shinji!_"

"Yes, yes." Shinji carelessly waved a hand at Ayako.

He wasn't normally this careless; he had an image to maintain, after all. But right now, he and the captain were the only ones in the dojo, and Shinji was still seething over his sister's betrayal.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. It was not merely the fact that she'd betrayed him. The way she'd hidden from him it was humiliating.

She had to have decided last night. By the time she came home, she had already resolved to fight him.

And even so - she'd let him...!

Ayako heaved a loud sigh, breaking his concentration. "First the one, then the other..." She shook her head, then straightened. "Did you hear from Sakura last night?"

Shinji scowled. "Oh, I heard from her, all right." He'd heard from her, and heard from her, and heard from her, and if he never heard from her again, it would be too -

"Is there a problem, _Vice Captain?_"

Shinji stiffened at her tone. "No."

"Good." Ayako nodded in satisfaction. "And before you ask, Sensei's on board with this. You may not like it, but you'd damned well better _abide_ by it. This ends now - got it, Shinji?"

He didn't get it, but he nodded anyway. "Got it." It was probably nothing important. Most likely, it was just another meaningless announcement from Fujimura, which the teacher would then proceed to forget as quickly as she forgot everything else (save someone calling her "Tiger") -

His eyes narrowed in sudden thought. Sakura was always going to Emiya's by using Fujimura's presence as an excuse. He wasn't sure what the relationship between Emiya and the teacher was, but there was no denying that one existed.

And Saber's visit yesterday - hadn't she come to see Fujimura?

Then more than likely, his sister was hiding out at Emiya's. And that meant Fujimura Taiga was involved, somehow.

"She'll pay."

Shinji clenched one fist so tightly it shook. Oh, yes, she would pay. Along with the rest of the school, of course, but especially Fujimura, and Ayako, and that _bitch_ Tohsaka -

"Good morning!"

He straightened as the first club member entered the dojo, donned his customary smirk, and returned the greeting.

Here, at least, he was getting the proper respect.

He relaxed further as more and more club members entered, and each offered him the obeisance that was his due. It felt good; indeed, it was the reason he'd joined the club in the first place, and once again, he congratulated himself on his foresight.

This was just what he needed - a place where he reigned supreme, as befitted one from a chosen family.

Still, the days of this substitute were waning. Soon, he would be recognized as a great mage of the great Matou family - winner of the Holy Grail War, owner of the Holy Grail, feared and respected. When that day came, he wouldn't need the archery club anymore.

He wouldn't need his grandfather and sister anymore, either.

And then, as if summoned by his thoughts, his sister appeared.

She walked into the dojo, same as always. She exchanged greetings with the others, face downcast - same as always. It was as if nothing had changed for her.

And the rage returned, as hot as ever.

"Sakura."

Her head snapped up, and Shinji was pleased to see her eyes widen in fear.

"Nii-san..."

She took an involuntary step back. Shinji smiled as he advanced on her. "You never came home, last night. Where did you go?"

"I..." She looked away.

"What's wrong?" he crooned. "Your brother is asking you a question."

She remained silent, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Why aren't you answering..._Sakura?_" He grabbed her tightly by the arm, and Sakura's eyes flew open in pain.

"Nii-san, wait - "

Shinji ignored her protests. He ignored the other club members murmuring. He dragged her outside, and slammed her back against the wall of the dojo.

"Nii-san, stop! You can't - "

"Shut up. You don't get to tell _me_ what to do, you little traitor!"

Sakura froze at his words. Her eyes widened; she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Shinji leaned in and snarled. "Did you think I wouldn't learn? Did you think you could turn on me, and I'd just let it go?"

"Nii-san, no! I haven't - "

"_I told you to shut up!_" He struck the dojo wall by her ear. Sakura flinched, properly cowed, and Shinji softened his voice. "Come home, Sakura. This isn't want you want, is it? Leave this War to me. Give up on the Holy Grail, and - "

"No."

"...I'm sorry, what?"

"I can't do that, Nii-san." Sakura didn't open her eyes. "I need the Holy Grail. If I don't get it, then Senpai is..."

"Emiya." Shinji felt the reins on his temper slip. "Emiya, Emiya, Emiya, Emiya - it's always Emiya! You're choosing that outcast over your own family? Is that it?"

"No, I'm not - "

"Don't lie to me, you little whore!" Sakura flinched again as Shinji's voice rose, but he paid it no mind. "You were too chickenshit to fight, but now that you have a _real_ Servant, instead of the worthless bitch you foisted off on me, you - "

"Rider is mine, Nii-san."

Shinji froze.

"...what?"

"Rider is still my Servant, Nii-san." Sakura still wouldn't look up; Shinji could see her trembling, and her whisper was louder in his ears than his own shouts had been. "I still have her other Command Spells. I'm still her Master. If...if Rider wins the Holy Grail War with you...the Grail will belong to me."

"What...? Belong...to..." His mind raced. _Impossible._ But it had the ring of truth. He could feel it. "So then - "

So then, no matter what he did, he would never get the Grail. He would never get his wish.

His wish never had a chance to begin with.

"You..."

And Sakura had known all along.

She let him volunteer. She let him put himself in harm's way. She let him believe he could be a Master.

And the whole time, she had known that he would never receive any compensation.

"...Nii-san?"

He couldn't accept it. It was cold. It was calculating. It was ruthless.

It was _beautiful._

It was a plan worthy of any mage. And that was why he couldn't accept it.

He could not accept that such a plan had come from _Sakura._

Sakura was a mindless doll. _His_ mindless doll.

Sakura was his pet.

Sakura was his punching bag.

Sakura was a tool, to slake his lusts.

The one thing Sakura was _not_, was a mage.

"Nii-san, please don't misunderstand. I'm not your enemy; I'm not trying to..."

And that was why. No true mage would act as she did.

A true mage would _never_ stoop so far as to try and console her tools...let alone skulk around, and constantly apologize, and let her powerless brother -

The anger boiled up again.

He couldn't stand to see this. He couldn't stand to hear this. He couldn't tolerate the knowledge that this...this _thing_ was walking around, trampling on his ideal with every step!

His hands shot out of their own accord, and wrapped around Sakura's neck.

_That's better. She's not talking anymore._

It was like Shinji was a spectator in his own body. He didn't pay attention to what he was shouting; he barely realized he was shouting at all. He just enjoyed watching Sakura, her eyes wide, silently pleading as he tightened his grip further, and -

Suddenly, she was not there anymore.

His hands were empty. He was on his back, and when he gingerly sat up, he was met with the unwelcome sight of Mitsuzuri Ayako standing over him, glowering.

"I warned you, Shinji! Damn it, _I warned you - _"

A fit of coughing from the side cut her off. They both looked over, and saw Sakura kneeling against the dojo wall, holding her throat with one hand.

"Sakura, you okay?"

Sakura coughed again. "Yes, Captain. I'm..." Her words broke down in another fit.

Ayako scowled, then turned back to Shinji. He suddenly realized that he was still looking up at her, and scrambled to his feet.

Oddly, even after he stood, it still felt like he was looking up at her.

"That is _it_, Shinji."

"'It'?" He looked beyond the captain, and his eyes widened in alarm. The rest of the club was watching from the entrance.

"Captain, wait! I haven't - "

Ayako ignored Sakura's cry. "You're done, Shinji. As of this moment, you are expelled from the archery club!"

Shinji stopped dead.

There was a sudden burst of chatter from the rest of the club, but for Shinji, the world had frozen.

He could see Ayako, seething. He could see Sakura, looking on with horror. Fujimura - when did she get there? - stood with her arms crossed, nodding silently. And the rest of the club gawked, and talked, and laughed.

Laughed.

_At him._

The last bastion of his superiority crumbled before his eyes. He stood in shock, and when the world began to fade to a gray blur, he welcomed it.

"Sakura?"

Awareness returned, and his eyes widened. The little bitch was standing right in front of him, head bowed as always.

"I was supposed to tell you." Sakura spoke in a low voice, too low to be heard by the others - almost too low for Shinji to hear. "The captain was going to throw you out if she saw you hit me. I was supposed to tell you...but we weren't together...and I couldn't..."

_'Did you hear from Sakura last night?'_

Shinji's eyes widened in realization. But it was too late.

"Nii-san...I'm sorry..."

Shinji closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Then he opened them again, and looked around at Ayako, at Fujimura, and the archery club - at the subordinates who had been his prize.

And then he looked at his sister, who had taken it all away from him.

Again.

She'd taken away everything. So he had nothing left to lose.

He didn't feel himself move. He just saw Sakura flying away from his outstretched fist, as the others cried out.

He glared at Sakura, then at the others.

Then he turned on his heel, and stalked away.

* * *

_"Rin."_

His Master didn't answer. To all appearances, she remained absorbed in the teacher's lecture. Still, Archer understood that she was waiting for him to continue.

_"A Servant has appeared on the roof."_

That got a reaction. Rin stiffened, and her jaw clenched; she looked down at her notes to avoid having anyone realize that her eyes had shot wide open.

_"A Servant?"_ she demanded silently. _"Here? Now? Why - "_ Then she closed her eyes, and sighed. _"It's Saber, isn't it?"_

Archer paused, then chuckled. Now that she mentioned it, the feel of that Servant _was_ rather familiar. _"More than likely. This was not a part of your plan, I take it?"_

_"Are you complaining?"_

_"When have I ever had anything to complain about?"_

There was a pause while Rin absorbed that, and Archer smirked.

_"Oh, shut up."_

_"As my Master commands."_

_"Your_ Master _commands you to go up there and see what she wants."_ She paused a moment, as if considering her next words. _"Scare her off if you can, but at least make sure that she knows we're aware of her."_

_"Understood."_

"Scare her off," was it? Well, there were all kinds of ways he could -

_"And Archer? Don't freelance. I'll be watching."_

Archer snorted. He was glad to see she had caught that; his Master was recovering more with each passing day.

_"Very well."_ He stopped as a plan occurred to him. _"In that case, do I have your permission to try to make her uncomfortable?"_

_"Uncomfortable?"_ There was a brief pause, as Rin pondered that request. Then her eyes opened in understanding, and her mouth widened in a vicious smile.

_"Oh, yes. Make her_ squirm._"_

Archer grinned.

Yes, his Master was definitely recovering.

When he reached the roof, as expected, Saber was waiting for him.

"Archer."

"Saber." He offered her a slight nod. "I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again, but under the circumstances..."

"Likewise." Saber nodded in return. "I will admit that I am surprised you came out to face me directly, like this."

"There's no point in doing otherwise." Archer shrugged. "Neither of us is in a position to fight here right now, after all."

Saber scowled, but said nothing.

_"Well, if there were any doubts before..."_

Archer nodded. Saber's Master was here at school.

"So," he said out loud. "Can I expect this to be a regular occurrence?"

"What do you mean?"

"If we're going to be holding each other's Masters hostage, we may as well get it all out in the open, right? I don't blow up your Master if you don't blow up mine?"

The trap was baited. Now, to wait for the prey...

Saber's face darkened. "As if that would stop you," she spat. "No, I came here to warn you not to expect me to hold back next time. Even if it puts the rest of the school at risk, for my Master, I will take that chance - "

"Liar."

Saber stopped dead, and Archer grinned.

_Gotcha._

"That is a fruitless bluff, Saber. You know as well as I do that your Master needs this school, and its students, intact."

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"_Of course_ you don't."

Here was the gamble. How would Saber react to her new Master's boundary field?

On the one hand, she was a knight, bound by oath not to harm the innocent. The boundary field should horrify her.

On the other hand, though, she was King Arthur - a heartless, machine-like ruler, who had made a practice of destroying one of her own villages before each battle in order to supply her army. The king would not only understand the boundary field, but might well approve of it.

It was a gamble...but to his mind, a safe one. Saber was a fool who regretted her entire reign. Not only would she most likely react as a knight, but her misguided revulsion for her kingly instincts should make her rejection of the boundary field all the more vehement.

_And that,_ Archer thought with a grin, _should make Matou Shinji's life _very_ unpleasant in the not-so-distant future._

"Your Master went to a great deal of trouble to set up this boundary field, Saber." He was still having difficulty wrapping his mind around the idea that Saber had taken up with Shinji - especially since the boundary field's continued existence meant that Rider was still alive - but what other options were there? "I doubt very much that he would appreciate your making all his hard work go to waste."

Saber scowled. "You speak in riddles, Archer. I had assumed this boundary field was _your_ Master's work."

"_My_ Master is not so inadequate as to need to feed me an entire school."

Saber froze.

"There's no need for denials." Archer smirked. "This boundary field's purpose is no secret. You know it. My Master and I know it. And your Master knows that we know."

Saber glared at him, and Archer's eyebrow went up as he felt her reach out with her senses.

_Interesting._

It was just what he'd been expecting, but even so -

_"What are you thinking, Archer?"_

_"She really didn't know about the boundary field. It would appear that Saber's Master was keeping her in the dark."_

Which was just what he'd expect, if she'd been claimed by Shinji. It didn't make any sense - it was basically surrendering any chance of the two Servants cooperating, and there might even be a chance of a blindsided Saber disrupting the field once Rider activated it - but that was Shinji, for you. If there was one thing for which Matou Shinji could be counted on, it was to use his Servant - Servants, plural, now - in the most inept fashion possible.

If only he could figure out how Shinji had actually done it. Using a grimoire to summon Rider was one thing, but he didn't think that Shinji could have used the same book to form a contract with another Servant, as well.

Well, there wasn't much point in pursuing that line of thought. Not knowing how Shinji had pulled it off didn't change the fact that he _had_ pulled it off. That was undeniable, now; Saber's Master was at the school, and other than Rin and Shinji, there were no more -

Wait.

_"Rin. There is another possibility."_

_"Go on."_

_"Saber's Master has not told her about the boundary field. There are two possible explanations for this. One is that he wished to conceal it from her, for whatever reason."_

_"That would be one stupid Master."_

_"Be that as it may."_ He certainly wasn't about to deny it. _"The other explanation, though..."_

His Master realized what he meant almost immediately.

_"He didn't know about it, either. Meaning there's_ another _Master at this school."_ Rin groaned. _"Terrific."_

It wasn't impossible. Even more galling, it was something Archer should have thought of already. He'd realized in his own Holy Grail War that Caster and Assassin were cooperating, but even after the War, he'd never managed to work out the identities of their Masters.

But if one of those Masters was at the school...

_"Well, that's not all bad."_ It probably wasn't Caster's Master; if Saber was drawing from the witch's reserves, the War would already be over.

Assassin, then.

That was good. Formidable as Saber was, a Master like that would handicap her almost as severely as if she had remained under Emiya Shirou.

_"At the very least,"_ he continued, _"I doubt they would want the boundary field activated any more than we do."_

_"An alliance?"_

Archer could feel Rin's skepticism at that. But before he could respond, Saber found her voice.

"You speak the truth of this field's purpose, Archer." Well, he was right about Saber reacting to the boundary field as a knight. She sounded _livid._ "But you are sorely mistaken if you believe that I or my Master had aught to do with that thing's creation, or that we stand to gain from its execution."

"No?"

"Do not make me laugh. The very _idea_ that S - " She stopped, and shook her head. "On my honor as a knight, I swear to you that this boundary field is none of our doing."

Archer raised an eyebrow again.

_"Awfully certain, isn't she?"_

_"Indeed."_ And that made it even more likely Shinji was not her Master. That was a certainty born from Saber's judgment of her Master's character. At the very least, Assassin's Master - like Caster's - must have felt that killing innocents was a waste.

Of course, that assumed that Assassin's Master knew what Caster was up to.

Or, for that matter, that _Caster's_ Master knew...

Saber did not wait for a response. "I have said what I came to say. Stay away from my Master, Archer."

She turned, bounded off the roof, and vanished into the woods behind the school so quickly that no one in the school could have spotted her.

Archer and Rin watched her go with worried eyes.

* * *

Saber was not surprised to find Rider at the spot where they had met yesterday.

The dark Servant had left Shinji's side shortly after that unworthy left the archery club (and secrecy be damned - Rider's presence was the only reason he left that practice in one piece!). Saber couldn't tell where she'd gone after that; she'd felt Rider flitting on the edge of her awareness all morning, always in motion, and never staying in range for more than a fraction of a second.

Saber hadn't been sure at the time how Rider was managing to stay away from her (and, she was sure, from Archer, as well).

The boundary field might explain a few things.

Now, though, Rider clearly wanted to talk with her. And that was more than fine with Saber, because she had a few things to say of her own.

When her fellow Servant came within sight, Saber didn't give her a chance to speak.

"Is this your doing?" she demanded.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Don't play games with me, Rider. Are you or are you not the one who put up this boundary field?"

"The boundary field?" Rider actually seemed startled by that. Her mouth dropped slightly, and she took an involuntary step back; it only lasted a moment, though, before she returned to her normal calm. "Yes, it is mine. What of it?"

"_What of it?_ Do you have any idea what that thing - " Rider gave her a look that even the blindfold couldn't disguise, and Saber cut off with an embarrassed flush.

Rider was a Heroic Spirit. Of course she would know what her own boundary field did.

Saber closed her eyes, and sighed. "Did Shinji put you up to this?"

"No."

Her eyes opened in surprise. "No?"

"No. I was not given to Shinji until shortly before you found us; I had long since laid this field's foundations by that time."

"What? But then - "

For a brief, horrified moment, Saber thought that _Sakura_ had ordered Rider to create the field. But that was impossible; not only did she not believe her Master capable of such an order, but Sakura had refused to act as a Master until she learned of Shirou's death. She would not have thought to give Rider any orders at all.

But if it was not Shinji, and it was not Sakura, then -

"You did this...on your own?"

"That is correct."

"You..." Saber's anger returned. "You took it upon yourself to increase your power by eating an entire school full of innocent children alive? Rider, that is - "

"That is my prerogative," Rider said in a cold voice.

Saber stopped. It felt as if she'd had the air knocked out of her.

"Your own words, are they not?" Rider did not raise her voice. She did not need to. "Do not seek to hinder me with your self-imposed restrictions. I will fight and win this Holy Grail War as I see fit."

Saber grit her teeth in anger.

She couldn't deny Rider's words. She _had_ admitted that Rider was free to act as she would; indeed, the very point of that conversation had been the eating of souls. And with Shinji incapable of supplying Rider with any magical energy, it was hardly surprising that the Servant would resort to such measures.

But even so, the thought of it left a bad taste in her mouth.

And she'd done this while she was _still Sakura's Servant - !_

"However, that is not the purpose of this boundary field."

Saber's eyes narrowed. "Do not mock me, Rider. I examined this field myself; when activated, it will consume everyone within it! How can you say that it is not - "

"It will do as you have predicted, Saber. But that is not its main purpose, and only a fool would rely on it to increase my powers."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it is too slow to be used as such." Rider stooped down and picked up a handful of dried leaves, then opened her hand and let them fall back to the ground. "The window of time for the Holy Grail War is a small one. Once it begins, we are granted in this world little more than two weeks, at most. It will be another seven days before the field is completed; by that time, someone may very well have already won the War."

The dark Servant grimaced. "But more than that...it is wasteful."

"_Wasteful?_"

"Our capacities for holding energy are limited, Saber. Consuming the entire school at once...I would barely be able to take in half of it myself, and I have no way to store the excess." Rider smiled thinly. "If I wished to feed on the students here, I would do so directly, one by one. I would eat only as many as I needed, and by keeping a low profile, I would remain hidden from my enemies."

"Yes, well..." Saber shook her head.

_What am I doing, having a conversation about_ this?

"So if the boundary field is not to eat the students, what is it for?"

"Shinji claims he will use it as protection against Tohsaka Rin."

Saber inhaled sharply.

"Shinji knows about the field?"

"He does." How could Rider say something like that so calmly? "He has said that he will only have me forcibly activate the field if she attacks him."

"And you believe him?"

"As I stated, it would be foolish for him to use the field to feed me." Rider cocked her head. "And it would be doubly foolish to make me activate the field prematurely."

Foolish.

_Shinji._

"Why do I not find that reassuring?"

Rider only smiled in response.

Saber took a slow breath. "And you? Why did you erect this boundary field?"

"To weaken my enemies."

Saber's eyes narrowed.

"This boundary field is a Noble Phantasm that I possessed in life. And in life, it was a defensive mechanism that covered my lair, and consumed all who entered. I intend to use it here for a similar purpose."

"You mean - "

"When the boundary field is complete, it will indeed kill everyone caught within. But this is merely a side effect." Rider leaned forward intently. "I have chosen this school to be my base, Saber. In the last days of this Holy Grail War, any Servants remaining will be forced to come to me."

She gave a thin smile. "Once they enter, they cannot retreat. They will fight me here, on my terms, on my own grounds. Within the field, mages and Servants can resist the effects...but not forever. They will grow weaker with each passing second. And in the end, I will slay the Servants and consume their Masters."

Saber stared. She was both appalled and awestruck by Rider's plan; it was cold-blooded, it was ruthless...and it just might work.

"But why here?" she finally asked. "Of all the possible locations you could have chosen, why erect this field over Sakura's school? Why sacrifice her classmates?"

Rider did not answer. She simply stared at Saber in response.

Saber began to fidget uncomfortably.

"What?"

Still, Rider did not respond; she continued to stare at Saber with a blank expression.

"_What?_"

At last, Rider sighed and shook her head. "I had thought you were a better Servant than that."

Saber glared. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Tell me, Saber. Has your sleep been pleasant, these past nights?"

"My sleep - "

Saber blanched.

A Servant did not dream. When she slept, she saw instead the past of her Master - and Saber was no exception in this regard.

She'd had her first dream last night...and the small glimpse into her Master's history had left her badly shaken. She dreaded the thought of what awaited on future nights.

But...

"What does that have to do with you choosing Sakura's school as your base?"

"Everything, Saber. I chose it as my base _because_ it is Sakura's school."

"What?" Saber stared in disbelief. What possible connection could there be between Sakura's past, and Rider's choice of victims? "Rider, are you insane? The students here are innocent! They have done nothing - "

"Exactly."

The venom in Rider's voice stopped Saber dead. It was the most emotion the dark Servant had ever shown her.

"They have done nothing, Saber. Our Master has walked among them for nearly a year, _and they have done nothing._"

It was cold. The weather had not changed; the warm winter day remained just as it had been. But Saber's bones were infused with ice, and she had to make a conscious effort not to shiver.

"I...I don't understand."

"You will." Rider turned away. "Perhaps."

She took spirit form, and began to leave.

"Wait! Rider - "

_"For now, Saber, understand this: There was only one student at this school that I'd had any interest in sparing."_

Rider's presence hesitated, then sighed.

_"And he no longer attends."_

* * *

_"Rin, are you all right?"_

"Hm?" Rin looked up, and shook her head. "Oh. Sorry, I'm fine."

A stiff wind blew through the trees, and Rin shivered in spite of herself.

She needed to get her head in the game. This was where Saber had headed when she left the roof this morning; they'd already gone past the point where Rin and Saber had encountered one another yesterday, and they could be attacked at any moment.

But she couldn't help it. As aloof as Rin was, even _she_ couldn't have missed the gossip that broke out just before noon.

Matou Shinji had been suspended.

The stories were all over the place, but they were unanimous on a few points. Shinji had been kicked out of the archery club this morning, for reasons that were still unclear. Whatever the reasons, the stories all agreed on his reaction: He went completely berserk.

And the other thing the stories all agreed on was that he had attacked his sister, Sakura.

He dragged her out of the dojo (either by the arm or the hair - the rumors split 50-50 on that point), tried to strangle her, and struck her in the face - all in full view of Fujimura-sensei.

The teacher's presence was the reason Shinji had been suspended, but Rin didn't care about that. What she did care about was that no one could say what had happened to Sakura afterward.

Rin spent the entire lunch period searching for her, without success. Sakura wasn't in her classroom, or at the archery club's practice after school, for that matter. It was like she'd vanished into thin air, and Rin had no idea of her condition, or how she was feeling, or what could be happening to her at home -

A hand on her shoulder shook her out of her thoughts. She turned to see that Archer had materialized, and was looking at her in concern.

"I hope you're not going to tell me we should go home." She tried for a dry voice. She didn't entirely succeed.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Archer, on the other hand, had no trouble conveying _his_ opinion. "Our home life is trying enough when you're in a _good_ mood. And furthermore - _get down!_"

He pushed Rin to the ground even as he shouted, and she looked up to see one of the short swords he favored take form in his hand, knocking something off to the side and to the ground.

Archer glanced down at Rin, and added, "And furthermore, we have company."

Rin's eyes widened. The weapon Archer had deflected was a wicked-looking spike, attached to a chain - a weapon of which she had an excellent view, as it had buried itself in the ground mere inches from her face.

Even as she watched, the spike was pulled out of the ground and back into the darkness, with a menacing rattle that echoed through the woods. She scrambled to her feet, and stood against Archer, back to back.

This wasn't Saber. That much was obvious.

Rin wanted to say something to Archer, but she knew better. The battle had already begun, and he needed every ounce of concentration. More importantly, _Rin_ couldn't afford the distraction - as the Master, she was the logical target, and this late in the afternoon, it was getting hard to see. The Servant could come from anywhere, and there was no guarantee Archer would intercept it in time. She had to concentrate.

Even focused, though, she still almost missed the next attack.

It began with the chain. She could hear it rattling through the woods, but it made no sense. One second it was to her left; the next, it was to her right; then it was behind her. Either the Servant really was moving that fast - in which case they were screwed - or she couldn't trust her senses.

Only the latter possibility gave them a chance of success, so Rin tried to ignore the sound. It was very hard, though - she could barely see five meters in front of her, and with her hearing useless, what was left for her to rely on?

She realized with belated chagrin that she and Archer had walked into a trap. In those few seconds of recrimination, her attention slipped, ever so slightly.

And the enemy struck.

The clash of metal behind her was the first indication she had. She spun around, and saw Archer blocking, not merely another hurled spike, but the Servant herself.

_Beautiful._

Rin gawked. It wasn't the time, and it most certainly wasn't the place, but she couldn't help it. Saber was exceptional (something she still tried not to think too hard about) but this woman was something else again. Where Saber's beauty was pure - almost holy - this woman was dark and seductive.

The Servant's long, violet hair settled behind her as she landed, pressing with another one of those nail-like spikes against Archer's swords, and Rin's breath caught in her throat. From this close, the scent and feel of blood was overpowering, but it fit this Servant - if anything, it made her even more alluring. It was perfect for her, just like those chains still rattling through the woods, and that blindfold she shouldn't have been able to see through, and -

Wait.

If the Servant had engaged in close combat with Archer, why was Rin still hearing the chains?

She spun around just in time. There was no time to think, or strategize, or even incant; she raised her left hand, Magic Crest charged, and released the attack she knew best.

_Gandr_ was originally a Finnish curse, meant to inflict its target with illness. By overcharging the spell, Rin had turned it into not merely a curse, but a projectile; she fired this bullet now, a half-dozen times as she turned - and the bullets struck the Servant's spike less than a meter from Rin's face, knocking it away.

The woods fell silent. Even as the spike dropped, it and the chain dissolved; a quick glance back showed that the Servant had vanished, as well.

Rin's eyes darted nervously from side to side. "How did she _do_ that?"

Archer grunted. "This ground favors her. We need to get back into the open - "

But before he could continue, the sound of the chains began once more.

This time, there was no waiting; almost immediately, the spike and chain shot through the clearing. Rin ducked, dodging the spike by inches, but the attack didn't stop. Seconds later, it came again, this time from a right angle; Archer side-stepped just in time. The next attack targeted Archer head-on; he couldn't dodge with Rin behind him, so he deflected the spike upward. The spike came back from the same direction in less than a second, low and rising; Rin and Archer dodged in opposite directions, and narrowly avoided being impaled.

After that, there was no time to think anymore.

Rin was in constant motion; the attacks came without ceasing from every direction - and worse yet, it was apparently the same spike every time, because the chains tracing all the previous attacks still crisscrossed the clearing. It shouldn't have been possible; Rin would have torn out her hair if she'd had time to stop and think about it. As it was, when she tripped over a chain while trying to dive to the side, Archer was forced to leap to her and deflect the nameless Servant's attacks until Rin could get back to her feet.

Later - Rin wasn't sure if it was hours, minutes, or seconds - Archer suddenly threw one of his swords at her. Rin ducked, and the blade knocked aside the latest spike, aimed at the base of her skull.

The diverted spike buried itself in a nearby tree, and the attack stopped at last.

Master and Servant looked around warily. Rin's heart was beating in her ears so loudly, she could barely hear herself gasping for breath. She forced herself to breathe normally, but she could do nothing about her heartbeat. This was not a situation she could be calm in.

Save for Rin, the woods were silent. It was eerie...all the more so because the chains still enveloped the clearing. They were trapped in a web of steel; Archer was only a few steps away, but they were separated by pair of chains, one waist-high and the other at her knees. It was too dangerous to try to move to him; they could be attacked any second.

Yet the seconds ticked by, and Rin's tension grew.

_What's she waiting for?_

They _should_ have been attacked by now. What was the point of letting them regain their breath and their bearings?

And then, abruptly, the chains vanished.

"Wha - "

Before Rin could even finish the word, they heard a terrified scream.

"Archer, come on!"

The scream had come from the direction of the school. She charged out of the woods, but didn't have to go far. A girl wearing the school's uniform lay outside the dojo.

For one terrible moment, Rin wondered - but no; this girl's hair was short, and the wrong color.

Rin moved towards the girl, but before she'd taken even a dozen steps, she felt Archer dematerialize. _Someone else is here?_ She looked around, and her eyes widened.

"Kuzuki-sensei!"

"Tohsaka." Kuzuki Souichirou walked over to the girl, and went to one knee to check. "You heard the scream as well."

_Thank God it's Kuzuki._

Any other teacher would have asked what Rin was doing here, so long after the clubs had ended. Kuzuki, though, wasn't concerned with such trifles.

"Yes, I did," Rin said. "But by the time I got to her, there was no one else here."

Kuzuki didn't respond. He was busy checking the girl.

Rin, too, looked at the girl, and her eyes widened. She recognized her; not by name, but she'd seen her at archery practice often enough. This girl had been the club captain at the start of the year, before Ayako took over.

_The Servant did this?_

Why would she abandon a fight where she held the upper hand, to attack...?

"She is dead."

Rin took a sharp breath.

Dead.

The reason didn't matter. Rin had been here. She hadn't just been here, she'd been fighting the Servant who did this - but she'd still...

"Tohsaka. You look unwell."

Rin shook herself. This was neither the time nor the place. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kuzuki continued before she could say anything.

"It is hardly surprising. Go home."

Rin blinked. "Sensei?"

"You did not see anything. There is nothing you could tell the authorities, and nothing you can do here." Rin winced at that, but Kuzuki continued. "I will handle this matter. It is my responsibility as a teacher. You should return to your home now."

Rin winced again. Such a simple thing to say - handling this matter. Between contacting the girl's parents, contacting the principal, contacting the police...who knew when he'd get home tonight?

"If you're sure..."

Kuzuki nodded.

"All right then, Sensei. If you'll excuse me."

She walked away from the death scene. The sun had nearly set; the school was deserted, and no one accosted her as she reached the school gates.

Outside, she stopped, and leaned her head against the wall.

_"Rin?"_

"She was right there, Archer. She was _right there._" Rin weakly punched the wall. "I could have saved her. If I'd been a little more careful...if we'd beaten that Servant...if we'd done that, she wouldn't have - "

No one else was around. She didn't have to worry about her image.

Rin closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

**"GOD DAMN IT!"**

* * *

"Fujimura-sensei."

Sakura's voice was perfectly even. She was not screaming, or throwing things, or ordering Saber to use Excalibur on her teacher. She was very proud of that.

"I'm _fine,_" she said.

"But Sakura-chan - "

"You sent me home before classes started this morning. Nii-san didn't even hurt me that badly, but you've had me resting the whole day." She drew herself up to her full height - which was, unfortunately, not all that intimidating - and glared at Fujimura-sensei. "I. AM. _FINE._"

Fujimura-sensei gave Sakura a worried frown. Even the fact that she had to cover a burp from dinner didn't diminish the effects. "If you're sure, Sakura-chan - "

"I'm sure."

"All right, then." Fujimura-sensei didn't look convinced, but she nodded anyway. "Good night, Sakura-chan, Saber-chan. I'll...I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

She turned away, and ambled off into the night.

Sakura closed the front door, then leaned forward, resting her forehead on the chill wood with an exhausted sigh.

This was not good. Sakura knew her body too well to deceive herself for long; even with the rich meals she'd been able to enjoy here, she'd been reduced to this state after only two days.

Was it because she was supporting Saber? Because of the day's events? She didn't know, and it really didn't matter. What mattered was the all-too-familiar pattern.

It began with irritation. There were so many small things, things she could usually just ignore; but the hunger magnified everything, and her temper would grow shorter by the hour. She should have realized what was happening when she blew up at Saber last night; she could barely think back on the scene now without cringing.

Nor had that been the only sign of her deterioration. The hunger was growing, as well. Already yesterday, she'd found herself sneaking well-hidden glances at her male classmates; by this morning's practice, she was looking at the girls, as well. By the time lunch had passed, her nerves were so sensitive that she flinched at Saber's mere touch.

It was not that it was painful. It had never been painful. Rather, it felt good - _too_ good. It did not satisfy; it only accented the hunger further, tantalizing her with the soft skin, the golden hair, the soft lips she could never have, and was she seriously pining over her _Servant?_

_I'm as bad as Nii-san says._

Nii-san...normally, by this point, her grandfather would have sent her brother to take care of her, but that was not an option, now. She had to take her mind off of this, somehow, but how -

"Sakura."

Sakura turned around, and groaned. Her Servant was wearing an expression almost identical to Fujimura-sensei's. "Not you too! Saber, I'm - "

"You are craving magical energy, and doing your utmost to conceal it."

The matter-of-fact words caught her off guard, and she could only gape in surprise.

Saber cocked her head. "I told you yesterday that your grandfather explained your situation to me. He would not have allowed me to take you away unless I had accounted for this."

"Accounted?" Sakura's eyes widened. "You mean...?"

Saber nodded. "I have thought of a way to relieve your hunger while at the same time keeping you away from Shinji."

Sakura took a deep breath. "And that is...?"

She'd never been able to come up with an alternative to her brother, and she'd been thinking about it almost from the day she'd first laid eyes on Senpai - in effect, her entire renewed life. But Saber was a Heroic Spirit; she had reserves of experience and knowledge Sakura could not even begin to comprehend. She hadn't even dared contemplate the possibility before now...but now, with it staring her in the face, her heart began to race. Surely the King of Knights had spotted something Sakura had missed, a way to end this torment, and -

"I want you to use me, instead."

No, that wasn't it. She would find some way to extract the worms, and...

...and...

That wasn't her imagination, was it?

"...pardon?"

"I will be your partner in Shinji's place. You can use me as much or as little as you wish."

No, it wasn't her imagination. Saber had just said -

_Partner? **Use her?**_

_That_ was her solution?

"Saber...do you know what you're saying?"

"I do."

"You're saying that you...you'll - " Sakura tripped over the words. The situation felt hazy, surreal.

"I am."

And it grew more surreal by the second.

The worst of it was, she could see the reasoning.

There was an unwelcome twinge as Saber's words fully sank in. It was pleasant - but it was also familiar, and for that reason unwelcome. It was the awful twinge she'd felt every time her brother had come to her. Beyond the fear, beyond the pain, underneath it all, she'd felt this. Her body, realizing on some level that its craving was about to be satisfied, was shifting in preparation, becoming even more sensitive than it had been before.

She didn't want it. She didn't want to think of it. Most of all, she didn't want to associate _Saber_ with it.

But her traitorous body wasn't listening to her.

_But it's different this time, isn't it? It's not like with Nii-san; Saber's willing, and - _

Sakura cut off that line of thought with a violent shake, and returned her focus to Saber. A stray thought occurred to her. "Have you...have you done this before?"

"I have not."

That surprised Sakura, but only for a moment. It stood to reason; such things would not have been accepted in Saber's time. They were not truly accepted, even now.

But wasn't King Arthur married?

"Your wife..."

"She knew my secret." Saber grimaced, and glanced away. "And like me, she surrendered that part of herself for the good of the kingdom."

_Surrendered?_

That almost sounded like...

Sakura paled. "What about your knights? Did you ever - "

"I have known neither man nor woman."

Sakura recoiled, and felt herself bump up against the door.

A virgin.

She was a _virgin._

Saber's first time - ever - and she wanted to waste it on this?

On _her?_

"Saber...no. I can't. That's too important." She couldn't remember her own first time, but she was sure it had to have been... "You shouldn't have to - not for someone like _me_ - "

Sakura cut off as Saber grabbed her by the shoulders. She hissed at the contact, but Saber did not pull away; she fixed Sakura with a steady glance, and Sakura felt a fresh wave of humiliation as she saw that her Servant had realized the truth at last. She ducked her head as her cheeks began to burn, and tried desperately to pretend she couldn't feel that shameful heat spreading out across her skin.

"Sakura. Sakura, look at me."

Saber took Sakura's chin in her fingers - strong, delicate, soft, _hot_ fingers - and lifted her head until their eyes met once more. "Sakura, a Servant is a tool. Its purpose is to protect its Master. Your concern for me is touching, but it is pointless."

Sakura's eyes widened. "_Pointless - _"

"Pointless." Saber released her chin, and once again held Sakura's shoulders. The warmth of her hands was almost overpowering, even through Sakura's blouse. "I exist to protect you, Sakura. If I can be of use to you in any way, it is my responsibility as your Servant to see to it that I can be used. It matters not whether that be as your sword, as your shield, or as your sheath."

_My sheath - _

Sakura's face burned even more deeply at the implication.

_Does she even realize what she's saying?_

"That is my responsibility to you." Saber's grip on her shoulders tightened. "But likewise, you must understand that it is your responsibility as my Master to _use me_. That is what it means to be Master and Servant in the Holy Grail War."

With an almost physical wrenching, Sakura forced herself to concentrate. It was as Saber said; this was the Holy Grail War. A ruthless, savage battle for supremacy, where every advantage had to be seized, and every weakness exploited.

Her Servant had a point.

Maybe even too much of a point.

A sheath, after all, required a sword.

"Saber...will that even work? We're both girls; you don't have any..." She trailed off, feeling like her face was about to burst into flames.

"It should." Saber was now a little red, herself. "While it is true that I do not have the...proper equipment..." She faltered for a moment, then shook her head. "That is not necessary to share my magical energy with you. I have known of situations where such a union results, not in a man supplying energy to a woman, but a woman supplying energy to a man; as such, there is no reason why a sharing between two women should not also be possible."

Sakura shook her head. "Saber...you're talking about a contract. There's already a bond between us; we can't make another - "

"It may still work. Even beyond that, there are two other elements in our favor."

"Two?"

"The first is you." Saber released Sakura, and stepped back. The loss of her presence left Sakura dizzy, and suddenly cold; she had to concentrate to make sense of her Servant's words. "Your magic is perfect for this task. Should all else fail, it may allow you to extract energy from me directly. And the second...is me."

"You?"

"I am a Servant. My body consists of magical energy, given form by the Holy Grail. Even where a woman would not give the same energy as a man's spending, that is not the case with me." Saber gave her Master an earnest look. "I can feed you, Sakura."

And the images _that_ conjured up nearly toppled Sakura again.

_On purpose. She_ has_ to be doing this on purpose._

She felt her knees buckle, and she blindly threw out an arm, reaching for the wall, or the door, or anything that would keep her upright.

Instead, she felt a body move before her, arresting her fall. Two arms, tiny and slender yet unspeakably strong, wrapped around her waist, forcing her to remain erect.

"Sakura..."

Close. She was too close. She could feel her, could smell her; the heat washed over her as if she were in a steam bath, and it was getting hard to breathe.

She pushed herself away - not far, just a couple of steps - enough so that she could see Saber, without sacrificing the support she still needed to stand. She forced herself to look up, to focus, and locked eyes with her Servant.

"Sakura."

And with a soft groan of surrender, Sakura _moved._

Saber gave a startled cry as Sakura lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her. She stumbled backwards, then tripped on the raised back of the entryway, and fell back into the house, dragging her Master down with her. Before she could do anything else, Sakura darted up, capturing the Servant's lips in a demanding kiss.

And Sakura's world dissolved in a warm haze of alabaster skin and emerald eyes.

* * *

"It didn't work."

"Not entirely."

Saber tightened her embrace, and Sakura murmured tiredly as she resettled against her side. They were in her Master's room now, recovering...if you could call it that...from their exertions.

The experience was like nothing Saber had known. It wasn't something she'd ever thought of, when she was alive; even in the Holy Grail War, only her desperation in finding a way around Shinji had led her to contemplate the idea.

But now she knew. And in the learning, she had opened up a new course of regrets.

_Guinevere...Lancelot..._

She had not resented their affair. She'd have given it her blessing, if she could have; failing that, she'd freely offered her forgiveness. But that, too, was impossible. And so she could only watch, helpless, as two of her closest friends destroyed themselves, and began to tear apart her kingdom in the doing of it.

It had been too much for Guinevere. That was Saber's fault. The queen was not the king; it should not have been her burden to bear, and it was wrong of the king to force the choice upon her, however freely she had embraced it. Saber had long known this, and suffered for it, though she had not been able to think of a way around it.

Now, far too late, she saw a solution.

Could she have averted it? If the king had laid with the queen, even though they were both women, would that have been enough to keep the queen from the arms of their greatest knight?

She did not know.

But it might have. And that potential was a fresh torment for her.

It was one more way she had failed as king. One more proof that she had been utterly wrong to pull the sword from the stone.

And one more reason why she had to win the Holy Grail, at all costs.

A task that had grown considerably more difficult in the past hour.

Saber glanced down at her Master, and frowned.

Sakura had been both right and wrong. They could not form a second contract, not without breaking the one that already existed. But they did not need to; they had managed to make use of the bonds they already shared.

It was not what those bonds had been designed for. What they had done was to stand in the midst of a river, and try to reverse its course by scooping the water back upstream. It should have been impossible - but somehow, Saber and Sakura had done it. Between the two of them, they had temporarily reversed the flow between Master and Servant. Saber had been able to give Sakura her magical energy.

The same magical energy Sakura had just given Saber.

It was a wholly predictable result. The normal relationship between Master and Servant was one of "producer" and "consumer"; the Master generated her own magical energy, and the Servant in turn used that energy to sustain herself. However, in their case, Master and Servant were both "consumers." The net amount of energy Saber could produce was negligible, and Sakura couldn't do even that much - the Master was an even greater "consumer" than the Servant.

That was the flaw in Saber's plan. However Master and Servant might contrive to split the overall pool of energy they shared between them, the pool itself would never grow.

Even now, Saber could feel what she had given Sakura being returned to her in a steady stream. Within a day, they would be as they had been before.

They could do this again; as long as neither of them expended a significant amount of magical energy, what they had was effectively a state of equilibrium. As long as nothing disrupted their balance, they could continue to trade energy each night indefinitely.

"..."

As long as neither of them expended a significant amount of magical energy.

As long as nothing disrupted their balance.

In other words: As long as they did not participate in the Holy Grail War.

The first time they saw combat, Saber's plan would implode. Her Noble Phantasm was out of the question; even the added drain to heal any wounds she took would end this arrangement. There would not be enough left after that to sustain both Master and Servant.

"Saber...what do we do now?"

"For now, we continue like this." Saber looked down at her Master, and gave her the most reassuring smile she was capable of. "We'll find another way, eventually."

_I just pray that Shinji doesn't get Rider killed before we do._

* * *

_He could hear them arguing._

_"Who cares about that? It doesn't matter HOW I do it, as long as I do it!"_

_He could see them, as well._

_"But Ojou-sama - "_

_"Enough, Sella!" Ilyasviel von Einzbern stamped her tiny foot. "This is not up for debate. I'm going to finish Caster tonight, and that's final!"_

_Sella's face stiffened. "As you wish." She gave the girl a curt bow, then swept out of the main hall. Ilya stuck her tongue out at the departing maid, then turned to the main doors. "Berserker, we're going!"_

_The giant, thankfully, did not materialize. Ilya left the castle alone, to all appearances, and the vision ended._

_Emiya Shirou did not question how he was able to see this argument. Nor did he question how he was able to see Sella teaching Ilya magic, or to see Leysritt helping her to get ready for bed. Nor, for that matter, did he question just how he knew who Sella, Liz, and Ilya were, or when he'd begun to think of them as such._

_He had much more pressing concerns._

_The pain was constant. It was unbearable - and yet, even now, it was growing._

_For the greatest source of Shirou's agony was not his body, but his magic._

_He could feel Ilya's magical energy flowing into him. He had been able to feel it ever since he had "awoken," in a way he'd never been able to before. Oddly enough, it was his broken body that accounted for this enhanced perception; stripped of all freedom, unable to move - unable even to breathe - Shirou had found himself naturally drawn to the one part of him that was still able to move, still able to change._

_Unfortunately, it was changing for the worse._

_There was something inside of him. He wasn't sure what it was, or what it was trying to do. But it was consuming all the energy that was flowing into him._

_No, it was worse than that. It was consuming everything that flowed into him, but that was not enough for it. It was beginning to pull in even more energy from the girl, even as he tried in vain to stop it._

_In the time before his living death, it had been Shirou's practice to "create" an artificial Magic Circuit from his nerves each time he used magic. He'd believed this to be necessary because he had no Magic Circuits of his own._

_He knew better now._

_No Magic Circuits? He had _twenty-seven_ of them._

_And all twenty-seven were straining under the sheer volume of energy flowing into him._

_Let us say that each of Shirou's Magic Circuits is capable of handling ten units of magical energy. By this measure, the most energy he is capable of handling at any one time is 270._

_Ilya's spell, the one that kept Shirou alive, continually sent him roughly 190 units of energy. Now, that flow had increased to 250._

_And it continued to grow._

_260._

_270._

_His Magic Circuits were at their limit. They could not hold any more energy than they already did._

_But it still wasn't enough._

_280._

_290._

_300._

_Emiya Shirou was trapped within his own body. He could not die. He could not lose consciousness. He could not thrash about, or scream, or do anything to diminish the pain._

_He could only endure as the flow of energy continued to grow, and his twenty-seven overloaded Magic Circuits began to rupture._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	9. Feb 5: The Precipice

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g., _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

My site, the Codex Scribanus, remains without a home as of this writing. I am still searching for a new host, and I still welcome any suggestions readers might have along those lines.

When the Codex is back up, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, as well as my LiveJournal (see profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

I am, as always, deeply indebted to my pre-readers, Shack, Elf, and Kami. They have once again turned an unmitigated disaster into a mitigated one (and with my work, you can't ask for much more than that).

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

He searched.

His was an endless, fruitless quest, with no rewards and no compensation. Yet he had no choice but to continue, for nothing could advance until he succeeded.

Night and day mattered not. By sun or by moon, still, he searched. Still, he sought.

Still, without success.

Such was the lot of a Servant. He did not sleep; he would not tire so long as his Master supplied him with energy, and thus he had no need to rest.

And thus, he had no opportunity for a break from his thankless task.

He had searched the entire city. Then, he had searched it again.

And then, he searched it a third time.

He had no hope of success. He had long since run out of potential hiding places, and was now reduced to searching in the same places he'd already looked, knowing even as he did so that he searched in vain.

The western forest was Berserker's territory. Ryudou belonged to Assassin, while Archer and Rider had taken up residence only a few hundred meters from each other. (He doubted either of them realized it, though. He'd seen _castles_ with fewer defenses than those houses.)

Saber yet lived - about the only thing in this whole sorry state of affairs he considered a positive - and was firmly ensconced with her new Master in the place where she'd been summoned.

But his quarry was nowhere to be found.

Not by the bridge. Not in the park. Not even at the school where he'd met the little lady, and _everyone_ seemed to show up there (the only reason he hadn't just staked out the place and waited was because he was sure that sooner or later, _Berserker_ was going to turn up there, as well).

His former Master's base remained undisturbed. He'd even checked the church, just in case - he trusted the false priest roughly as far as Berserker's Master could throw him - but no luck.

He'd tried using his runes for scrying, but as expected, they didn't tell him a damned thing. His quarry was too well-protected for that. They _did_ draw a horde of bone golems, though, so he decided not to try that again.

The golems were no threat, but there was no telling what might get sent his way next time.

Finally, he came to a stop atop the tallest building in Shinto, and materialized. With the light of the moon to guide him, he looked around and stretched his powerful senses to their utmost.

Nothing.

The Servant Lancer closed his eyes with a disappointed groan. He took a deep breath, then threw back his head.

**"WHERE THE HELL IS CASTER?"**

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER IX**

**2/5: THE PRECIPICE**

"Senpai..."

Saber watched her Master with open worry.

Shortly after Sakura nodded off, she had begun whimpering in her sleep. She'd latched onto Saber with surprising strength for someone of her frame, and refused to let go.

"No...Senpai..."

Saber's shoulder was wet from Sakura's tears. Speaking had not roused her; she continued to clutch at her Servant, and moan for Shirou.

It was obvious, in hindsight; Saber should have realized how suspicious it was. Sakura had wept bitterly when she learned of Shirou's death...but after that, she'd never spoken of it again. It was as if she'd thrown a switch - between one second and the next, Sakura's energies had been wholly redirected from Shirou's _death_ to Shirou's _resurrection_.

Saber should have known better.

Her Master was a liar. She already knew this; she had seen for herself the masks that Sakura donned almost at will - masks that would have fooled Saber as well, had she not watched Sakura put them on.

And now, apparently, even watching Sakura don the mask had not been enough to prevent Saber from realizing the lie it represented.

Perhaps Sakura was only deceiving Saber. Perhaps she was deceiving herself, as well. It was difficult for Saber to tell, but in either case, one thing was very clear:

Her Master's recovery from Shirou's death was nowhere near as complete as Saber had thought.

And that could very well lead to trouble down the line...because sooner or later, they were going to run into the Master who had killed Shirou.

And if that Master knew Shirou, as Saber suspected, then he or she almost certainly knew Sakura, as well - and would know to use Shirou's death against her.

How would Sakura react to that?

Saber's mind returned involuntarily to the scene at the front of this very house, during those perilous seconds when Sakura believed that Saber had killed Shirou.

What _was_ that? It hadn't seemed like Sakura was in control of it, or even aware of it, for that matter. Did it have something to do with her Magic Crest? Was it something else Zouken had done?

Saber was unsure. But one thing was clear: At that time, Saber's instincts had been absolutely certain that she was in great peril. Even though she was a Servant...

No, that wasn't quite right.

_Especially_ because she was a Servant, her Master - no, not her Master, _Matou Sakura_ - had been a threat to her.

Saber sighed.

There was so much she didn't know. Her Master's past was closed to her; she had so far seen only glimpses of horrific torture at Zouken's hands, for a purpose she could not divine.

"...Nee-san...?"

Saber's eyes snapped to Sakura. She was still asleep; even as Saber watched, her body settled, and her voice dissolved into incoherent murmurs.

But there was no mistaking what she'd said.

Not "Nii-san."

Nee-san.

_Elder sister._

But Sakura had no sisters. Her only sibling was Shinji, so who could she possibly be talking about?

Saber's musings were disturbed by the sound of the phone, coming from the other side of the house. She sat up to respond - but her movement was arrested by her Master's surprisingly strong grip.

"Sakura?"

"No, Saber...Nee-san is..."

She was still asleep.

_What in the world is she dreaming about?_

The phone rang again, but Sakura's grasp was unyielding. Saber couldn't break it without using magical energy to augment her strength - which was simply not an option - and so Sakura continued to slumber.

The phone rang again, and Saber lay back with a quiet sigh. Intentionally or not, her Master had spoken.

For tonight, the Holy Grail War would just have to go on without them.

* * *

"Come on...come on...dammit, Emiya, pick up already!"

But the only response Mitsuzuri Ayako received was more rings. They continued to taunt her, until she finally hung up with an exasperated sigh.

"Where could she be?"

For the past hour, Ayako had been trying to reach Matou Sakura, without success. There was no answer at her house - which was half a relief; she had no wish to speak with Sakura's brother again anytime soon - and Fujimura-sensei wasn't home, either.

Ayako had finally thought of calling Emiya. He was a friend to both siblings, so even though he'd been out sick, there was a chance Sakura was there. Even if she wasn't, Emiya needed to know what had happened.

(And who knew? It might even prod him into finally rejoining the club.)

But there was no answer at his place, either.

Ayako sat back, and groaned. "Did I get left out of an alien abduction or something?"

It was as if everyone had dropped off the face of the earth. She was willing to bet good money that if she picked a random name out of the phone book and dialed, they'd be gone too.

_I should just let this go._

Ayako frowned. She should, but...

She'd been uneasy ever since she'd heard about Shinji's suspension. She couldn't explain, but it felt as if something had gone very, very wrong.

She didn't know what it was, or what (if anything) she could do about it. Still, she had to try.

Ayako snorted. "It's like I'm turning into Emiya."

...well, she wasn't quite _that_ bad. Ayako, at least, knew when to quit.

That said, she wasn't to that point quite yet.

"Let's try her house again..."

But as she picked up the phone, the doorbell rang.

_A visitor? At this time of night?_

Her parents and brother were out, so Ayako got up and opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was standing there.

"Sensei! Good evening."

"Mitsuzuri."

Kuzuki Souichirou towered in the doorway. And behind him...

"Fujimura-sensei, too?"

"Good evening, Mitsuzuri-san." The younger teacher gave Ayako a sad smile. "I'm sorry we came by so late, but..."

Ayako looked from one to the other with a growing sense of dread. Kuzuki-sensei was as impassive as ever; Fujimura-sensei, on the other hand, was almost _too_ easy to read. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked as if she was doing her best not to break into tears (again).

"What's going on?"

"Can we come in? We're..." Fujimura-sensei trailed off with a soft hiccup.

Kuzuki-sensei glanced over at her for a moment, then turned back to Ayako. "This is a conversation best had seated."

Ayako swallowed, and nodded. "All...all right, then."

She stepped back, and allowed the two teachers to enter her home.

Kuzuki-sensei pulled the door shut behind him with a gentle _click._

* * *

"Well?"

"Well what?"

Archer sighed, and Rin took a moment to reposition her teacup on the table in front of her.

Maybe it was petty of her, but Rin wanted her Servant to engage her on _her_ terms. In this, at least, she still ruled her world, and she'd be damned if she gave that up.

Besides - the longer she delayed, the longer it would be before she had to think about what had happened.

So naturally, Archer didn't let her get away with it.

"If you're finished sulking in the corner, we have matters to discuss."

"_Sulking - !_" Rin was halfway out of her seat, mouth open to tell her Servant to go jump in a bonfire, before she caught herself.

She knew what her dreams the past few days were - even if she didn't know what the flames meant - but that was not something she wanted to admit to Archer that she knew. (Hell - it wasn't something she wanted to know, herself!) Nor was she sure of what his reaction would be, if she tried to use them to strike at him.

Still, between that burst of thought and the sheer irritation Archer's words awoke in her, Rin found her energy returned...which was, more than likely, exactly what Archer had intended. The bastard knew exactly what buttons to press.

And that pissed Rin off beyond all belief.

"All right, Archer. So why don't you tell me - _what the hell happened today?_"

"What happened," Archer said in a tart voice, "was that we were incredibly fortunate to survive."

Rin blinked. That wasn't what she'd been expecting him to say. Still, she'd take it. "That bad, huh?"

"It was a trap from start to finish, and we walked right into it." Archer paused, then shook his head. "No, even before the start, it was a trap."

"What do you mean?"

"How did the Servant know to attack us there? How did she know that we would be entering the woods, and from that direction?"

"You tell me. The only reason we were even there was because..." Her eyes widened. "Wait. You don't mean - "

"Either she and Saber are cooperating, or she was watching us when I spoke with Saber this morning. She knew we would be investigating the area where we saw Saber depart."

"Which do you think it is?"

"I do not believe them to be cooperating." Archer snorted. "Not after how vehement Saber was about the matter."

_Vehement...?_

Rin went still.

"Archer. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

He nodded. "She is not Assassin, and I would have seen any other Servant who got close enough to watch us. Also, from where we were this afternoon, the woods and the dojo both obstructed her view of the girl she left us to assault. The only way the Servant could have seen her - or spied on us, for that matter - is by making use of the boundary field."

Rin took a deep breath, and sat back.

"So she's the one." It was kind of a relief; at least she knew her enemy, now. And if she focused on the Servant, she didn't have to think about the girl yet. "All right, Archer. What can you tell me about her?"

"Her class should be obvious, to begin with."

Rin frowned. Saber, Archer, Lancer, and Assassin were all accounted for. The Servant's actions were too deliberate for Berserker, and she hadn't used any magic the whole time, so Caster was out. That left only one class from those Kotomine told her had been summoned.

"Rider."

Archer nodded again. "She does not seem to be particularly strong in close combat, but she does not need to be. Even unmounted, she should have strengths to more than offset that deficiency."

"'Should'?" Rin raised an eyebrow. "You couldn't tell who she was?" It shouldn't have been such a surprise, but she'd almost come to expect it by now. Archer being unable to unmask an enemy just seemed wrong, somehow; it was what he did.

Judging by his disgruntled expression, it wasn't something Archer was accustomed to, either. "I do not recognize her appearance, and she did not use any special abilities during the fight." His mouth twisted in annoyance. "She was very careful; she gave me nothing to work with."

"What about the sounds? She was doing something to fool my ears, and..."

She trailed off as Archer shook his head. "Your ears were not deceiving you, Rin. She really was moving that quickly."

"_What?_ But that's - " Rin paled.

"I told you we were fortunate to survive."

"So you did." And that was the big question, wasn't it? "Why _did_ we survive? She had us, so why didn't she finish us off?"

"The girl she killed was not a Master. She was not even a mage, for that matter."

"I know that," Rin snapped. It couldn't be helped, but that was the very last thing she wanted to think about. "So why would Rider prioritize killing her over killing a Master and Servant?"

"She wouldn't."

Rin blinked. "What?"

"Rider would not leave us to kill someone who wasn't even a witness. No Servant would." Archer sighed. "Only a Master would be capable of such foolishness."

"...Archer, what are you suggesting?"

"That girl was Rider's target all along." Rin stiffened, even as Archer continued. "Her appearance at that time was the only thing that saved us; Rider was compelled by her Master's order to abandon us in favor of the one that he wished struck down."

Archer's face might as well have been carved from granite. "We yet live because she is dead."

She already knew that. She knew what kind of a War she was engaged in, what kind of people her enemies were - this enemy especially, who had ordered the boundary field over her school. None of this was a surprise to her.

But Archer's words hurt, all the same.

It didn't matter that Rider would have killed the girl whether Rin was there or not. She had been there, and she'd had a chance to stop it - and not only had she failed, but she had been saved only by the death of an innocent bystander.

_Again._

"Rin. What will you do now?"

Rin closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She knew what she had to do. She had known what she would have to do for a long time.

She didn't want to do it. Here, in the privacy of her mind, she freely acknowledged that. She acknowledged her worries, and her fears, and her insecurities.

And then, she moved forward anyway.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to school."

"And then what?"

"And then, I'm going to have a talk." Rin opened her eyes, and forced her face into a mask. "And depending on what I hear..."

Archer frowned. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"We know what we're up against. There's no point in waiting any longer."

Tohsaka Rin's course was set. There were no more second thoughts. There were no more distractions.

There were no more regrets.

"Tomorrow, we move."

* * *

"_You useless bitch!"_

There was a dull _thump_, almost completely swallowed up by the acoustics of the living room, as Matou Shinji's fist connected with his Servant's cheek. Rider, as usual, turned her head with the blow, but gave no other reaction.

It was a habit of hers that annoyed Shinji to no end, and never failed to ignite his temper. Right now, though, he was already too pissed off for it to make a difference.

"What did I tell you to do?" Shinji grabbed Rider's hair, and pulled her face down to his level. "_Well?_"

"You ordered me to kill the archery club captain. I carried out your order."

"That's not what I ordered you to do, and you know it!"

Rider did not respond, and Shinji ground his teeth in rage.

_'Kill her, Rider. Take that bitch of a captain, and eat her alive!'_

Those had been Shinji's words. Rider had known exactly what he meant. There was no possible way that she could have failed to understand that he wanted Mitsuzuri Ayako dead. And she claimed to have followed his command.

And yet, Mitsuzuri Ayako was still alive.

Rider had killed another.

"Are you turning against me too, Rider?" The Servant did not answer, and Shinji smiled thinly. "It's all right to tell the truth. Sakura let the cat out of the bag - I know she's still your Master."

He still had a hold of Rider's hair, and he felt her try to draw back as his statement registered. He held her tight, though, and she stopped her movement almost before it started.

Shinji grinned without amusement. "So you see, there's no need to hide anymore. I already know she's using me to get the Holy Grail; I just want to know what she plans to do with me afterward."

"There are no such plans."

"Still with this charade?" He released Rider's hair, retreated to the couch, and sat down.

_Calm. You're a Matou. You're in control. Stay calm._

"It's all right," he lied. "I won't get angry. Sakura already told me I'm never getting the Grail, so what does it matter what happens to me afterward?"

It mattered a great deal, but that was not what Shinji wanted Rider to believe.

_Stay calm._

"Come now," he crooned softly. "Just tell me how she's going to have you kill me, and get it over with."

_You're a Matou. Stay calm._

Rider said nothing. She just stared at him without moving, for a long moment.

_You're in control. Stay calm._

With an effort, Shinji kept his voice level. "Well?"

"Sakura has given me no such order." Rider's voice was matter-of-fact, and devoid of warmth.

_Stay calm._

"Nor do I expect to receive such an order from her in the future."

_Stay c - _

The gentle facade disappeared beneath an eruption of anger. Shinji leapt to his feet, kicking away the low table before him with a loud _crash_.

"Don't give me that crap! I may not be your Master, Rider, but you're still my tool, and I'm _ordering_ you to tell me the truth!"

He glared at his Servant.

His Servant looked back at him.

And when Rider finally spoke, it was to confirm the worst possible outcome.

"The truth," she said, "is that you have misread my Master's intentions from the beginning, Shinji."

His legs gave out beneath him. It was only through dumb luck that he managed to fall back to his seat on the couch, rather than suffer the indignity of tumbling to the floor at the Servant's feet. He barely noticed, though. He could not take his eyes off of Rider.

_My Master._

He'd said it himself, but Shinji hadn't truly believed. At some level, he wanted - _needed_ - for Sakura to be lying, for him to still be a Master.

For him to still have a chance.

But now, Rider had acknowledged the truth.

And with that acknowledgment, the final delusion of Matou Shinji crumbled.

Rider continued to speak, but he did not listen.

"You did not allow Sakura to finish her explanation this morning."

He was beyond listening. Beyond caring.

"It was never her desire that you be denied the Holy Grail."

Even if he had listened to Rider's words, he would not have believed her. He would not have accepted it.

The long contradiction had at last ended...or, perhapse more accurately, Shinji had decided to end it.

There was no longer a need for it.

His sister was a mage. So it was impossible that she should fail to act as a mage should. Anything to the contrary, he refused to acknowledge.

He had erased from his mind the knowledge of what Sakura had allowed him to do.

It was a lie. He understood that. But his life before this had been a lie, as well. And with this new lie, at least, things were as they should have been.

"It is true that she has a need for the Grail, now. But that does not preclude - "

"That's enough, Rider."

He spoke in a soft, peaceful tone. It was so uncharacteristic that Rider stopped in surprise.

"Shinji?"

"It's all right," he said, and this time, he was not lying. "I know what I have to do, now."

The barriers had fallen, and like a butterfly from a cocoon, the true Matou Shinji emerged, for perhaps the first time. He understood what he was, and the situation in which he now found himself.

He understood the course of action now required of him.

"What are you planning to do?"

"What I should have done from the start."

He had lost his dream. He had lost his wish. He had lost his position. Most importantly, he had lost the only means he had of regaining them.

But that was fine. He had lost much - but for now, at least, he still had Rider. He still had his ideal. And he still retained the most important thing. He still had the one thing that made Matou Shinji who he was.

_Revenge._

"Tomorrow..."

Matou Shinji smiled, and for the first and last time, he felt a kinship with his grandfather.

"Tomorrow, it ends."

* * *

_"Again, Berseker! AGAIN!"_

_It was almost a relief for Shirou when the vision began._

_The agony he now endured was unlike anything he had felt before. It afflicted his soul, not his body - and hence, there was no way for the body to interfere or diminish the pain. It was like he was being shredded from the inside out; even what Berserker had done to him did not compare to this._

_He should have died the moment his Magic Circuits erupted...but Ilya's spell prevented it. Failing that, he still should have lost his mind from the pain. He would have welcomed that; he was ready to give in, as he had before._

_But he could not._

_Shirou was not a fool. He'd realized that the force that had restored his mind was the same force that continued to draw energy from Ilya, in an ever-increasing flow. And what that force had once restored, it would not surrender again._

_And so he endured - because he had no choice in the matter._

_That much Shirou understood. But that was the limit of his knowledge. There were many things he had yet to comprehend...and first and foremost among those were the seemingly random spikes of pain that had begun to afflict him._

_These flashes should not have been there. It was as if each one subjected Shirou's broken Circuits to a far greater strain than Ilya's energy should have accounted for - from the 600 and rising of Ilya to well over 2,000 - and yet, damaged as his Circuits were, the damage was still only that of Ilya's 600 units of energy. The flashes were not real._

_The pain, however, was._

_It was a "phantom" pain, but it was pain nonetheless - and while it offered him an escape from the pain of Ilya's energy, it was only by way of a still greater pain in its place. And all the while he endured _that_, the flow of energy from Ilya was still growing._

_Emiya Shirou's existence was thus one of endless pain. He moved from great pain to greater pain, and then back to greater pain still._

_Thus, his relief at the vision's onset. He desperately grasped at something, _anything_ else on which to focus._

_"Lancer was one thing - but Assassin, Berserker? **Assassin?**"_

_Sella and Liz looked on in silence as Ilya berated her Servant. Shirou looked on, as well - and as he did, the images and knowledge came unbidden._

_Berserker had challenged the Ryudou Temple (Shirou had a brief flash of worry, as he remembered that his friend Issei lived there) but never saw the one he had come for. He had been stopped by a _samurai_, of all things, draped in violet._

_The samurai - Assassin, Shirou suddenly understood - could not harm Berserker; his oversized katana merely skipped off the giant's skin, not leaving so much as a scratch. But Berserker could not defeat Assassin, either. There was something off about the battle; Berserker moved slowly and sluggishly - gravity magic, Shirou realized - and this allowed Assassin to hold his own through speed and skill._

_And as the fight went on, sweat had begun to bead on Ilya's brow._

_It was completely unexpected. She had trained to control Berserker for far longer stretches than this - for days on end, in fact - but the simple reality was that fighting a Servant, particularly while under the hindrance of enhanced gravity, was taxing on a level that merely slaughtering wolves could not hope to approach._

_The duel was a battle of attrition, not between Assassin and Berserker, but between Assassin and _Ilya_ - and Ilya was not prepared for such a battle. In the end, she had been forced to retreat._

_"You're supposed to be the strongest!" Ilya now screamed. "If you're not the strongest, then why did I summon you?"_

_Ilya knew better. Even Shirou, unaccustomed to battle as he was, could understand that it wasn't a matter of Assassin being stronger than Berserker. It was a combination of the circumstances, Assassin's skill, and whoever had cast that gravity magic - Caster, Shirou suddenly knew - that had managed to stop the giant._

_But the point remained. Berserker _had_ been stopped...and he could be stopped in the same fashion again._

_It was a stalemate. Caster and Assassin couldn't defeat Berserker here, but by the same token, Berseker could not defeat them there. Both sides were invincible on their home ground._

_And a stalemate did not favor Berserker. A combination of just two Servants had stopped him. If Caster and Assassin managed to add one more..._

_"Ojou-sama - "_

_Ilya turned to the maid with an unchildlike grunt. "I know, Sella, I know. If we can't get Caster now, then we'll just have to make sure she doesn't..."_

_She trailed off, and her face lost what little color it had. She began to topple - and as she did, only his ruined body prevented Shirou from crying out in shock._

That's - !

_"Ojou-sama!"_

_The maids rushed out to catch her, and the vision ended. Shirou was left alone in his body once again, trying to make sense of what had happened._

_He should have seen it sooner. The signs were all there; it should not have taken such a blatant demonstration to make him realize what was happening._

_As Ilya lost her balance, the phantom pain had returned._

_The answer was obvious. It was Ilya's pain that Shirou was feeling during these spikes. It had been Ilya's pain all along._

_Yes, he understood now. He had felt her pain - the pain of controlling Berserker - as the Servant fought Assassin. He felt her pain now._

_The link between them was the cause. It was the cause of the phantom pain. It was the cause of the visions. It was the cause, Shirou realized with a start, of his sudden knowledge of Ilya and her maids._

_The link could not be broken - not by Shirou, anyway - and it could not be ignored._

_However...it _could_ be exploited._

_The flow of energy from Ilya continued to grow as Shirou felt for it, and began to backtrack. He traced the flow in reverse, fighting the current, seeking what he needed to find - and, at last, he reached the base of the link._

_The place where he and Ilya were joined._

_It would be painful. If pitchforks now tore at his soul, he could only flee it by diving into the boiling pitch itself - and when he could stand the pitch no longer and had to emerge, the pitchforks would be there, waiting for him._

_But Shirou accepted that. Pain was nothing new to him, even before he had come to be in his present circumstances. And while he would not be able to go for long, that too was acceptable; it might be a greater pain, but it would be a different one, as well._

_Leaving aside anything he might learn, that in and of itself was reason enough to act._

_And with that thought, Emiya Shirou plunged forward, and made his first deliberate foray into the mind of Ilyasviel von Einzbern._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	10. Feb 5: Mr Sandman

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g, _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

My site, the Codex Scribanus, remains without a home as of this writing. I am still searching for a new host, and I still welcome any suggestions readers might have along those lines.

When the Codex is back up, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, as well as my LiveJournal (see profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Heartfelt thanks, as always, go to my pre-readers, Kami, Shack, and Elf.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

_She was in hell._

_It was hot, and the entire world was red. Her skin hurt. Her throat hurt when she breathed. Her eyes hurt; even though they had been closed the whole time, they still hurt, and the world was still red - the sheer redness of it bled through her eyelids and seared itself into her pupils._

_She needed to go back. She had to go back to the house. His father had told him to wait -_ that was impossible; her father had abandoned her_ - but still, she had to go back to the house and wait._

_But she didn't know where her house was anymore._

_She had no choice. At last, she opened her eyes...and then, she understood._

_It wasn't that the world was red._

_**The world was on fire.**_

_It was like the remains of a battlefield from a movie. Was he near the house? How far had she wandered? She couldn't tell._

_She stood in a burning field, with towering walls of flame to every side, and the sheer heat weighing down on every inch of the landscape. Most of the buildings had already fallen; she was the only thing in that entire place that still had his original form._

_The light of the flames scorched her eyes. The smoke choked her lungs. Her skin creaked by staying alive._

_She moved her feet, wanting to escape, but something heavy was entangled around her legs, like shackles. She understood - it was the presence of death, seeking to take her._

_But it had not taken her yet. And since she had survived, she felt she should live on. It was dangerous for him to stay here, so she began to walk._

_She had no direction or purpose; she walked for the sake of walking. She passed many bodies, shriveled in the flames; some were dead, but others yet lived, by some perverse miracle, and their misshapen husks flailed wildly at her as she walked by._

_Some called out to him for help. Others called out for her to join them. Still others called out for her to simply acknowledge them._

_She ignored them all, and left them to die so that she might survive a little longer._

_The heat was unbearable. She tore at her own throat with discolored nails, and breathed in scalding air that stung her burned esophagus. Her brains steamed in her skull. His eyes abandoned their function; they lacked even the strength to blink away the smoke, let alone to tear up._

_There was not enough water left in her body for that._

_Her flesh was scorched, and blistered in the heat. Her clothes were charred, and stuck to her wounds; they tore away from his legs and groin with each step, rending her flesh still further._

_It was hot. It was too hot, and yet it was cold. Everything was inverted; he'd passed the boiling point to reach the freezing point, and she hated that - she hated the cold, always had._

_Everything was hot; that was why it was cold._

_Still, it was ridiculously hot._

_She had no hope. It was already a wonder that she was still alive; she couldn't expect to be saved. She would not survive; whatever happened, the boy - _wait, she was a boy?_ - would not be able to escape from this burning red world. It was such an absolute hell that even a small child could understand._

_And then, it got worse._

_The sun was black. That was not strange; everything was inverted, so it was only to be expected that the sun would be black, or that it would be up in the dead of night. It should have been normal._

_And yet, when she saw the sun, the boy - _yes, that was right, she was a boy_ - ran away._

_She was scared._

_He was not afraid of the raging fires; compared to that black shadow, burning up and dying seemed like a human death. She knew she would be taken someplace even worse if that thing caught him._

_And so she ran. And no matter how far she ran, it was always hot, and the scenery was always red._

_And the black shadow was always behind him._

_At last, she collapsed. Was it because there was no air? Was it because no function was left in his body? Whatever the case, she collapsed on the rubble, body twisted from falling mid-stride, and stared at the burning fields._

_Shriveled people were strewn across the landscape. The fires still burned, even though there was nothing left to consume. Everything in that place had already been burnt up._

_The boy was no exception._

_He had left behind many people. Because of that, she survived a few minutes longer than everyone else._

_But that was only his body. His soul had burned up in the flames._

_His eyes had lost hatred._

_His hands had lost anger._

_His legs had lost hope._

_His self had lost self._

_In order for her body to live, his heart had died._

_But now, that too was at an end. Death was at hand; his will for survival had run out at last._

_One only died when the will faded. When that happened, everything else disappeared, as well. Parents, home, friends, past - all had melted away._

_The boy had nothing. All that remained for him was to die._

_Somehow, he rolled onto his back, and stared up at the clouded sky. It would rain soon, and he absently thought that this was good; the rain would put out the fire._

_He stretched out his hand, and reached for the sky. He reached for the rain._

_He knew it would not come. It was too late, and he understood that. But even so, her body reached for it. It mechanically made one last futile attempt to live._

_Thinking had gotten difficult. He closed his eyes, and felt the last of his strength draining away. His arm began to drop, and everything turned black._

_And then, someone grabbed his outstretched hand._

_It was almost an annoyance. There was nothing left but to drop her arm and die - and yet, someone was still holding his hand in the air._

_It took time, but he somehow found the energy to open his eyes and look up._

_He slowly blinked, as the blurry shapes came into focus. His hearing returned, and he heard a soft pitter-patter; the rain had begun. None struck her, though; he was covered by the man looking down at him, holding his hand almost desperately, with a relieved, beautiful smile._

_A man he did not know - no, she knew him, but that was _impossible_ - that couldn't be him, he was -_

_He was her -_

**"AAAAAAH!"**

She sat bolt upright, eyes wide. She was covered in blankets, yet she was cold and shivering; her heart beat madly, and her body was drenched in sweat.

She looked around in a panic. She had to get away. Where was the fire? Where was the rain? Where was the black sun -

_Black sun?_

Her breathing slowed, and her sight returned. She was in her bed. In her room. She was safe.

There was no black sun. No fire. No rain.

No father.

"..."

Ilyasviel von Einzbern closed her eyes, and took a final deep, calming breath.

Then she let herself fall back onto her pillow, and opened her eyes to look up at the canopy over her bed.

"What was _that?_"

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER X**

**2/5: MR. SANDMAN**

_'Kariya-kun, wait - '_

The Servant Archer returned to consciousness with a small groan.

Servants had no need for sleep, as a matter of course. However, that did not mean that they were incapable of it. It offered any number of benefits, if a Servant dared to indulge in the luxury; most importantly, for a wounded Servant, it could further speed the healing process.

This was particularly important for Archer, as he was almost certain to see combat tomorrow.

He checked his condition, and frowned. He was almost completely healed.

Almost...but not quite.

If the wound had been dealt by anyone other than Saber, he would have been long since healed by now. But it _was_ Saber - more to the point, it was _Excalibur_ - and as a consequence, his most useful recuperative advantage had been denied to him. He'd been forced to heal on his own.

And because of that, he'd been forced to sleep.

Archer frowned again, and left the summoning circle.

Rin was asleep in her room. In his disembodied state, making the transition from here to there was a matter of seconds; all too soon, Archer hovered over her bed, looking down at her tormented form.

Yes, his Master slept...but her rest was anything but peaceful. Her face was pinched, and she thrashed from side to side as her eyelids fluttered in the midst of a dream.

Considering what she was probably dreaming about, that was not hard to understand.

This was hardly a surprise to Archer. It was simply a fact of life in the Holy Grail War: As the bond solidified, a Master would begin to see the past of her Servant as she slept.

Just as the Servant could see the past of his Master.

He wondered if Rin had realized that the bond went both ways. She probably had - there were very few things she could not figure out, given the opportunity - but he knew that even if that were the case, she would not say anything.

His Master was a proud mage. It would be easier for her to pretend that the bond did not exist than it would be to deal with the fact that her Servant had seen her embarrassing childhood memories.

And the harrowing ones, as well.

Archer sighed as he recalled the dream from which he had just awoken. It was hard to believe that Rin, barely a schoolgirl, had tried to stick her nose into the last Holy Grail War...but then again, this was Rin. It was all _too_ easy to believe that the little genius had not only done so, but had actually managed to find something, using nothing more than a magic compass.

Not to mention that the little idiot had gone in armed with nothing more than a couple of half-charged jewels.

It was a minor miracle his Master had survived to summon him.

Archer frowned again at the thought. Rin had been attacked by something she couldn't see and lost consciousness, but the memory had not ended there. Even asleep, she had half-registered voices in the darkness of her slumber; with a little effort, Archer could make sense of their words.

_'One day, we'll come here to play like before. Rin-chan and Sakura-chan will return to being a pair of good sisters...'_

"'Sakura-chan,' huh?"

Rin's sleep settled as Archer spoke, and his frown deepened.

There was no way that was a coincidence.

It had been a long time since Archer had thought of the girl who had once nursed Emiya Shirou. In life, he had lost track of her once he graduated from high school, and left Fuyuki City to pursue his ideal.

He'd returned after the city was destroyed by an earthquake two decades later, trying as always to save who he could...but although he had seen others he'd once known - and even saved a few of them - of her, he had not found even a trace. He'd been forced to conclude that she had either long since left the city, or lost her life in the disaster, swallowed up by the earth like so many others.

Archer sighed again.

On the surface, nothing had changed. Nothing _should_ have changed. Rider's Master was Shinji; the Holy Grail War had nothing to do with Matou Sakura.

But still...

Archer looked down at his Master once more, then turned away to return to his circle. If he slept again, he should be able to finish healing by morning.

_Rin...I hope you know what you're doing._

* * *

The Servant Caster did not sleep.

She had no need for it. Magical energy, she had in abundance; more importantly, there was so much to be done.

Time spent sleeping was time not spent planning. It was time wasted - and that was the one thing above all else that Caster could not afford.

"Assassin?"

Much less could she afford _others_ wasting her time.

"Assassin, where are you?"

She looked up in annoyance at the empty gate to Ryudou Temple - empty, even to her perception as a Servant. The one who should have been standing guard was nowhere to be seen.

"I am here."

Caster raised an eyebrow at the sight of her Servant ambling up the long stone stairway, blade in hand...and something skewered on the end of it.

"What is that?"

"There was an intruder." The Servant Assassin nodded at his sword. "A large number of these worms were gathered at the foot of the stairs; I felt they were suspicious, so I cleared them out."

"Worms...?"

Caster peered more closely at the black thing impaled on the tip of Assassin's sword. Was that some kind of familiar, or -

Her eyes widened, and she jumped away from Assassin.

"Caster?"

And then, Assassin's body exploded.

It was a curse that Caster had placed in him at his summoning. Assassin was flung away into the forest, his chest pierced from within by his own ribs.

"What - " He coughed weakly. "Caster, why did you - "

Caster ignored his complaints. Her eyes swept the area, all her senses stretched to their limits, searching for the one behind the worms -

"Hm?"

Nothing.

"What...?"

It made no sense. These worms were meant to attack and to consume. They overwhelmed their prey in clews, ambushing from the cover of darkness. Assassin had gotten close enough to stab this one; if he wasn't taken right there, the others should have hidden on his person, waiting for a better opportunity.

And yet, none were here. Not on the ground, not hidden under the temple rocks, not nearby at all. Why did they show themselves, if not to attack?

"What was the purpose of this?"

"That should be my question, should it not?"

Assassin emerged from the forest. Caster's curse had rendered his form a gruesome spectacle, yet he ignored his wounds as if they did not exist.

That was only to be expected. Assassin was a Servant who would never lose his elegance, no matter what happened to him - whether he suffer a fatal sword wound, or have his skin blistered with flames...or even if his ribs were protruding from his chest, and his body covered in his own blood.

"I understand that you are under a great deal of stress, but was that really necessary?"

Caster, too, ignored his wounds. "Of course. A tool that cannot perform its task is good only for the trash heap."

She muttered under her breath, and Assassin blinked in surprise as powerful winds washed over his body, scouring him clean and healing his wounds.

"My. Such unexpected charity...it would seem that my Master is in an extravagant mood."

"Don't flatter yourself," Caster spat. "It was necessary - I had to ensure that you weren't carrying any more of those worms."

Assassin's face grew serious. "These worms are such a threat, then?"

"If their master had willed it, you would be dead right now." Caster scowled. "I do not know who was behind this, but it is fortunate for you that he had no such intentions, tonight."

Assassin frowned. "What do you mean?"

It was only through force of will that Caster did not scream out loud.

_This is what I get for summoning a farmer instead of a Heroic Spirit._

"What I mean," she said slowly, "is that when you came close enough to touch them with your sword, you also came close enough for them to touch _you._"

Assassin's eyes widened.

"You are not a Heroic Spirit yet, Assassin. In great enough numbers, they could overwhelm you." Caster's voice turned to ice. "And after you...Souichirou-sama."

"Well, now." Assassin smiled. "That would be problematic."

"Do not tempt me, Assassin. Bad enough that you let Archer escape without a fight; for you to fall into the trap of an enemy that isn't even a Servant - !"

Assassin didn't respond - just continued to stare at her with that mocking smile - and Caster's thinly-frayed temper snapped.

"Are you _that_ eager to die?" she demanded. "Does the opportunity for a low-class like you, without a Noble Phantasm, to become real - to become a true Heroic Spirit - mean so little that you would - "

"A Heroic Spirit, huh?" Assassin chuckled, and shook his head. "Well. You have claimed that with the Holy Grail, you can do this. But you are Caster; you should know better than any how impossible it is to tamper with the Throne of Heroes."

Caster glared. "Are you saying that I am not powerful enough, Assassin?"

"I am saying that you are a liar."

Caster felt her rage boil further. "Assassin, you - "

"Now, do not glare at me so." He sketched a mocking bow in her direction. "It does not matter to me that you taunt me with impossible promises, or that the Master you have now is not the one who summoned you. I am not loyal to you, but I will act out my role, all the same."

Caster bit her lip in frustration.

She had not lied to Assassin. With the Holy Grail, she really _could_ make him a Heroic Spirit. It went without saying that no artifact, however powerful, could steal from or diminish the Throne of Heroes...but _adding_ to the Throne was another story altogether. That was well within the Grail's power.

It was vexing to have Assassin assume that she had deceived him with fairy tales. Even if she had no intention of following through on her promise, that promise still had to be one she was capable of carrying out.

Only in that fashion could this male she had summoned suffer the most.

Such was the purpose of the tool called Assassin.

And it infuriated her that he thwarted her purpose with such ease.

"If you say that you will act out your role, then _do so properly!_" Caster swept out her arm, gesturing down the stairs. "The one who sent these worms did not take advantage of your lapse this time. If you repeat this failure, though, you had best pray that the worms kill you before I do!"

"As you say, Caster." Assassin turned, and looked down the stairs. "It appears that your Master has returned. Shall I take my leave of you now?"

"Assassin." Caster smiled sweetly. "If you let Souichirou-sama see you, I will feed you to the worms myself."

He chuckled. "Such a temperamental woman. I pity your Master."

"_Assassin - !_"

He dematerialized and withdrew before she could finish, leaving Caster to fume impotently before the gate.

With an effort, she put the impudent samurai out of her mind. She took a deep breath, then turned to await the arrival of her Master.

He appeared a moment later, climbing the steps with an even, unhurried gait.

"Welcome home, Souichirou-sama." Caster bowed deeply. "You are quite late this night; I was beginning to worry that something had happened."

"Something has happened. Summon your guardian, Caster."

"...eh?"

"You appointed a sentinel for this gate." Kuzuki Souichirou stood as he always did, and spoke in the same tone he always used. "Call him forth."

Caster's head snapped up, and she stared at her Master in shock.

_How did he - _

Assassin was not the true Servant Assassin. He did not possess the genuine ability of Presence Concealment. But even so - what he _did_ possess was more than suitable for spying; he should have been undetectable to virtually all humans, even when materialized.

So _how had her Master known?_

And - she felt a sudden chill - if he knew that...what _else_ did he know?

"Master, what - "

"I have left the Holy Grail War to you to conduct as you see fit. But cooperation is now necessary. Summon your guardian."

Caster did not sleep. And because she did not sleep, she knew nothing of her Master. Neither his past nor his capabilities had been imparted to her; now, as she found herself caught off-guard by him yet again, she rued her lack of foresight.

"I...I understand."

There was a metallic shimmer behind her, and Caster grit her teeth. Assassin had materialized before she gave the order.

"Well, now. I suppose this means there are worms in my future."

Caster spun around in a rage, mouth open - but before she could even begin, her Master spoke, cutting her off.

"There has been a death at the school. Tell me what you know of the Servants."

A death at the school?

_Servants?_

"The first Servant I fought was Rider..."

The Servant Caster did not understand her Master. She had begun to doubt that she ever would.

Still, as Assassin continued to speak, a smile began to form on her face.

* * *

Matou Shinji slept like the dead.

It was a pity, Rider reflected as she slipped out of his grasp and reached for her black shift, that this was only a simile.

She needed Shinji alive. His continued survival was essential to her Master, both emotionally and as a Master; moreover, Shinji was her best protection against Saber. When - not if, _when_ - Sakura was the only Master remaining, and the Holy Grail War came down to the two of them, Sakura's prohibition on attacking Shinji might just be the edge that she needed.

Yes, Rider needed Shinji alive...however much she wished it were otherwise.

Still, should the worst come to pass, his fate would at least provide her with some small compensation.

Rider sighed quietly as she finished dressing. It was not right that Shinji should be at peace. Tormented and twisted as he was awake, in sleep he found a repose that he did not deserve, while his sister - who _did_ deserve that repose - found no peace, even in the little sleep that she got.

Though now that she thought about it, Sakura's sleep did not feel as turbulent as it normally did.

Her energy was more stable; it was almost like it was after Shinji -

Rider shook off the thought.

"Saber..."

Her fellow Servant had said that she'd thought of an alternative. Had she actually found another way to sustain Sakura? Rider had not truly expected it, but if she had...

Rider frowned. The Book of False Attendant interfered with her connection, and made it difficult to sense much. Still, if she made an effort, she could manage to get something.

Rider probed deeper.

And then her eyes widened behind her mask, and she staggered as she felt a heavy tug from the bond.

"What - "

She doubled over as she felt a second tug, and then a third, each stronger than the last. She struggled to break away, but in vain - her consciousness was being strained through the bond, pulled through Sakura, to -

"_Saber?_"

Rider barely realized that she was speaking out loud.

"What did you - "

There was no answer. Even if there had been a response, she was in no condition to understand; she could feel herself blacking out, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Rider just managed to dematerialize before she hit the floor.

* * *

_And the knight slept._

_She slept in the room that her Master had claimed, alongside her Master in bed._

_No outside worries troubled the knight. She did not know what she had done; even had she known, it would have mattered little to her. There were no enemies to fight, no threats to protect from. In this brief window of time, she had found rest._

_Thus, the knight slept._

_And as she slept, she dreamed._

* * *

In the dream, she had a sister.

"Matou...Sakura?"

"Yes...Matou Sakura."

It was not her father who told her this. That man had never been a father to the girl. She did not understand why this was, but such was the truth of the matter.

Theirs was a special family, and she was not the heir. Thus, it was only natural that he should have nothing to do with her. She was not special to him.

Her family was her mother and her sister. She loved her mother, and relied on her sister in all things, and this was enough for her.

So it was only fitting that when her life was to be ripped apart, it would be her sister who told her of her fate.

They went together to the gate of their house, where a car waited to take her to her new family. A large man in a dark suit took her by the hand and led her to the car. An old man awaited within, and as she approached, his face split in a sinister grin.

The girl became frightened. She was young, but not unknowing or unable to sense danger. She tried to pull away, but the man in the dark suit was an adult, and held her fast. The more she pulled, the tighter his grip, and the greater her panic grew.

Finally, in desperation, she turned back to the house, and screamed for her sister, as she had done so many times before. She screamed until her throat felt raw.

Always before, it had worked. Always before, her sister had come and comforted her.

But her sister was not there.

No one stood before the gate of her former house. The doors were shut, and the curtains were drawn.

Her sister had abandoned her.

The girl would think on this scene often in the days that followed. She remembered it as she was thrown into the cold basement, and the worms violated her, filling her from head to toe. She remembered it as her new family, such as it was, turned their backs on her suffering. She remembered it as she screamed in pain, screamed for mercy, screamed for an end, screamed for help...screamed for her sister.

Her sister didn't help her then, either.

After a while, she began to wonder if her sister had ever helped her at all.

* * *

In the dream, she was a priestess.

She was not human; she and her two sisters had been born of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, born from the wishes of mankind for ideal goddesses.

They were born in contrast to the gods of Olympus. This was hardly a surprise; one would only think to wish for an ideal when the reality was deficient. For this reason, their very existence was an insult to the Olympians, and all they stood for.

But even so, the three sisters served the gods.

This was the decision they had reached. If mortals would worship them, then they would turn that worship to the Olympians. In this way, they would make peace with those they threatened, and be integrated into the pantheon.

The goddess Athena had taken a particular interest in the three. It was the goddess who first offered them her patronage, and placed them under her protection.

She and her sisters owed Athena a great debt.

It was only fitting, therefore, that she repay the goddess by serving in her temples.

All that was bestowed upon her was in turn given to the gods. All the devotion and faith and trust the mortals offered to her were reflected to Athena.

And thus, the arrangement was solidified. She and her sisters gained the protection of the gods. The gods, in turn, gained those worshippers the sisters drew. Both parties gained; both parties benefited. Both parties were satisfied.

Yes, in those days, the priestess truly believed that the gods had come to terms with her and her sisters. She trusted them.

Trusted Athena.

In retrospect, that was her first mistake.

* * *

In the dream, she wished to protect.

She had been born in a time of chaos, in a country verging on ruin.

Once, her land had been part of a vast empire. But the empire, too, had met its demise. Decay had eaten away from within, while barbarian hordes threatened from without.

To prepare for war against the barbarians, the empire stripped her land of all its military forces. Her island home was left without any protection whatsoever, and in short order it disintegrated into a plethora of smaller, independent countries.

She learned of these things from the knight who raised her. The knight was not her father; she had been entrusted to him at birth, though she knew not whose blood ran through her veins.

In truth, such things did not matter. The knight raised her as a knight in turn, but he did not even have to press her to follow this course.

Every day, the girl trained. She sought to become stronger than anyone, for she understood only too well the peril in which her home rested.

She was not told of the prophecy surrounding her birth until she had already attained the throne. When she heard it, though, she only shook her head.

No one had needed to tell her anything; she had seen a need, and acted to meet it.

Only a king could save a ruined country, headed for death.

She swore to bear a sword for that reason alone.

* * *

_And the Gorgon slept._

_She slept in the room claimed by her false Master, on the floor by his bed._

_She could not be seen; she had taken spirit form, and none could so much as touch her._

_This was fortunate - for her slumber was not voluntary._

_She had been struck down without warning. She had never even considered her vulnerability through the Master-Servant bond; it had not been intended as an attack, but that had been the effect, all the same._

_She would know better next time._

_But for now, though, the Gorgon slept._

_And as she slept, she dreamed._

* * *

In the dream, she protected her land.

"Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise King, born of England."

That was the inscription, edged in gold, written upon the hilt of the sword. Knights and lords from around the country had gathered, anticipating that the throne would be awarded through a joust; but when they came to the appointed place, only Caliburn - the Golden Sword of Owed Victory - awaited them.

Many knights sought to pull the sword from the stone. But none could so much as budge it; in the end, all gave up on the sword, and they withdrew to select a king of their own expectations by jousting, as they had originally intended.

It was hardly a surprise. Those who sought the crown had no interest in the country. They desired the throne for their own benefit; each was resolved in his own heart to wage war, should another be chosen over him. How much less, then, would they acknowledge a method of choosing that rejected them all?

And so, the sword in the stone was abandoned.

And only then, in that deserted place, did she approach.

She had not joined with those who sought to pull the sword. It would not have been permitted, even if she had tried. She was only a squire; she was not qualified to joust, much less to aspire to the throne in the sight of all the lords of this land.

Still, she came. Without hesitation, she approached the stone, and laid her hand on the blade's hilt.

"No, no. You should think things through before you take that."

A mage stood beside her. She did not recognize his face, but she knew him, nonetheless; he was the most feared mage in the land. He had come to offer her a warning.

"You will not be human once you take hold of the sword."

But she already knew this. A king was someone who killed everyone to protect everyone; such an existence could not be called human under any circumstances.

All the more so in her own circumstances - both because of her youth, and because of her gender.

If such an unsuitable one were to attain the throne by a method her subjects had scorned, not even the slightest imperfection could be permitted.

This, she already knew. She had long meditated on these things, and she was prepared.

The sword was pulled out as if it were only natural to do so, and the place was filled with light.

And thus, her reign began.

She had become something unrecognizable. When the lords of the country, drawn by the light, found her in the clearing, they did not know her. They did not recognize in her the girl that she was, or the squire that she had been. She was simply the king, one who had appeared as if descending from the heavens.

Only her father and the mage knew the truth of things; she covered herself in steel, and sealed that truth away for all her life.

She appeared to her people as an ideal king. But even so, she was not accepted.

It was just as she had foreseen.

Because the new king was not of their number, the lords were forced to accept it, and to obey her at least in form. But they did so unwillingly; they accepted her rule as a disgrace that they believed would soon pass.

Even if she drew the sword, she was only a child. Even with Merlin's help, she would falter soon enough. When that happened, they would rise up against her, take away the holy sword, and reselect the king.

This was acceptable to her, as well. The king was not human; it had to function as the "king" to protect the country. A king who failed was not a king at all, and it would be only right to replace such a one with a more fitting ruler.

This was her task - and she did not fail.

For ten years and twelve battles, she knew only victory. She never turned back, and was never disgraced. She was raised as the king and fulfilled her obligations as the king, and suppressed the knights who murmured against her with results.

She was fair and selfless, and always stood in front of the army, defeating her enemies on the battlefield. The king's choices were always correct; she balanced the country without any deviations and punished people without a single mistake.

_"King Arthur does not understand human feelings."_

But what of it? Such a thing did not matter to her.

A king was not human. One could not protect the people with human emotions, and she had abandoned such things the moment she pulled out the sword.

It was her normal practice to prepare her army for each battle by sucking everything out of a local village. No matter what kind of a war it was, a battle would have victims; but by this method, she could minimize the numbers of those victimized, and defeat the enemy efficiently.

She would exhaust one village to prepare the army, destroy the invaders before they could damage the land, and save ten villages. This was the solution she came up with as the king, and in truth, it was the best policy.

But the murmurs against the king continued to grow. She had done _too_ well; she defeated her enemies so thoroughly that her subjects thought the sacrifices made beforehand were meaningless.

But this, too, was only natural. It did not matter to the king.

_"A miracle has a price. In exchange, you will lose the thing most important to you."_

She wanted to protect everyone.

But in order to do so, she had to abandon the emotion of "wanting to protect people."

She threw away her heart - and in exchange, she saved her country.

The final battle at Badon Hill ended in a complete victory. The savages sought a reconciliation, and the country that would have just awaited destruction earned a brief period of peace.

The chaos that demanded an absolute hero had ended.

And the downfall of the king had begun.

* * *

In the dream, she had an uncle.

He had been her uncle, even before; now, with her family changed completely, he was still her uncle. She didn't understand how that was possible, but she accepted it.

He was an adult, but even so, he was like her. He was a fellow sufferer, one who endured the tortures of her grandfather just as she did.

"Just a little more, then I might be defeated by the 'worms' within me. Uncle is not as enduring as Sakura-chan."

He laughed as he said this. Such was his way; he laughed at his weakness, and boasted of his failures. But in truth, he was not the same as the uncle she had once known. His smiles never reached his eyes, and his body grew more deformed and twisted with each new day.

She couldn't understand him. He'd been free of all this; he'd fled this house, and won his freedom - and yet, for some reason, he had returned. He had voluntarily submitted himself to the same excruciating violations that she suffered.

Why?

Why would he do this?

She did not understand. It did not make sense to her; even if she was young and inexperienced, she knew she was not wrong to be confused by him.

She could only conclude that her uncle was a fool.

But she was happy to have him, nonetheless.

She couldn't understand why she felt this way. Why was she glad to see another suffer as she had to?

Was it because he was family?

Was it because he was weaker than her, even though he was grown?

She did not know. But even though her uncle was not her sister - rather, the person she could no longer call her sister - the fact remained: When she was with him, she was safe. When she was with him, she could relax.

It was not until the day he left her that she finally understood.

"Uncle's going to be busy with important business for a while, so I won't have much time to talk to Sakura-chan like this."

Too late.

It was not until he, too, abandoned her that she realized the truth.

It wasn't that he was family.

It wasn't that he was lower than her, or anything stupid like that.

It was that he was someone who wasn't her new father or grandfather.

It was simply that when he was there, she wasn't alone.

And now, he was gone.

And she was alone again.

She had already learned to close her heart in the midst of torment. It was a simple thing; she knew nothing of life or desire or hope, so giving up those things was no challenge. It was how she'd survived up to this point.

And now, her uncle was gone. There was no one left for her to open her heart for.

So she sealed it away completely.

She was alone.

She would always be alone.

She saw her uncle again some time later, and he died not long after that. But she felt nothing.

There was no longer anything to feel.

* * *

In the dream, she was an object of ridicule.

The priestess was different from her sisters. All had been born as goddesses - but she, the youngest of the three, was mortal. She continued to grow, older and taller; with each day, she grew further from the ideal form into which she and her sisters had been born.

Worse yet, she had been cursed with Mystic Eyes of Petrification, and was forced to wear a blindfold, lest she turn those in her sight to stone. Far from drawing worshippers to the gods, her very presence repelled them.

Her sisters treated her with contempt. The gods treated her with disdain. The mortals treated her with fear and confusion. She was shunned by all, and every effort of hers to draw near to the divine society was violently repulsed.

Faith did not yield results.

Kindness did not yield results.

Devotion did not yield results.

Everything that she attempted failed, and her failures were mocked by all around her.

But she did not give up. She couldn't; it was for this purpose that she had been born, and she did not have the freedom to choose another path. If all looked upon her with scorn, she could only work all the harder, and draw in more worshippers to compensate.

But this, too, was meaningless. The harder she worked, the greater the mockery. She was never rewarded for her struggles - on the contrary, she became an outright pariah.

Even Poseidon, who should have been her natural patron, was turned against her. Through her sisters' scheming, she was prevented from attending a banquet to which he had invited her; he never forgave the insult, and became her fiercest detractor from that day forth.

Only Athena offered her any favor at all, and even that was a pittance compared to the fruits of her labors. But in spite of that - maybe even because of it - she clung to those small favors all the more fiercely.

For she who knew only words of spite, words without emotion were a treasure. In a routine marked by harsh punishments, a day with no acknowledgment was an incomparable blessing.

She adored the goddess in thanksgiving for the trifles she received, and spent more and more time Athena's temples.

And thus, she was ripe for the betrayal.

Poseidon sprang upon her without warning that fateful day. The shock of seeing another god in Athena's temple froze her; by the time she had recovered, it was too late - Poseidon had seized her bodily.

She fought back as best she could, but she already knew her efforts were futile; it was impossible for one such as her to overpower the Lord of the Sea. At last, in desperation, she turned her attacks on his eyes; this distracted him enough for her to break loose and flee for the temple sanctuary.

She reached Athena's altar a heartbeat before Poseidon, and threw herself at the goddess's feet. Here, under Athena's statue, lay safety; even another god would not dare to profane the heart of Wisdom's temple.

And yet, Poseidon dared.

He pulled her away from Athena's statue, and hurled her to the floor. His eyes were like those of a shark, and she realized with a surge of panicked disbelief that he meant to take her there, in the heart of the temple - on the grounds Athena held most sacred.

Athena was there. She saw the goddess watching as Poseidon ripped at her clothing, and she cried out for rescue.

But Athena abandoned her.

The goddess averted her eyes from the scene, and cursed the priestess, even as she pleaded for aid. Athena turned away, leaving the priestess to Poseidon's lusts - and as she did, the priestess understood at last.

It was no coincidence that Poseidon was here. He had not broken in like a thief; he lurked in Athena's temple at the goddess's own invitation. He had come here with her blessing, for one purpose and one purpose only.

And as the sea god took her, defiling Athena's temple, the priestess knew despair, for she understood that this was Athena's plan.

This had been Athena's plan all along.

* * *

_And the girl slept._

_She slept in a bed that was not her own, in a home that belonged to another, with a partner whose rightful Master had discarded her._

_Her rest was peaceful; she was warm and sated, and filled by those loyal to her._

_She did not notice the difficulties inherent in that state. Empty and abandoned as she was, her two Servants nonetheless filled her, and flowed freely through her._

_In a normal Master, this would have been disastrous. Even for the one like her - the true vessel of whom her grandfather had spoken - such a state would tax her past her limits. The Einzberns' vessel was made only to contain; she was designed to release only when she had reached her capacity, and then all at once in a burst of energy that would rip a hole in the very fabric of reality. Her grasp was too strong - a Servant could not flow through her without tearing her own mind in the process._

_But the girl was empty. She was not as well-made as the true vessel. For all that she grasped at those who flowed through her, she did so only with a human's power. She could not take hold of a Servant that still retained its living form; they slipped away from her as if she had never held them to begin with. Because of this, her own Servants passed through her and mingled freely, and shared with her and with one another all that they were._

_Thus, the girl slept._

_And as she slept, she dreamed._

* * *

In the dream, she was an exile.

Athena's plan was swift and merciless. Scarcely had the one who had once been a priestess gathered herself after Poseidon's rape when the attacks began.

It did not matter that Poseidon had taken her unwilling, or that he had done so at Athena's explicit direction. All that mattered was that Athena's temple had been desecrated - and that Athena held the former priestess responsible.

And all of Olympus demanded vengeance - not only on her, but on her sisters, as well.

The sins of one were the sins of all.

The very worshippers the three had gathered for the gods were now turned against them. Alone or together, the sisters were attacked everywhere they went; there was no place of safety, and they never had so much as an hour of peace.

At last, they were forced to flee the mainland of Greece. They took refuge on the Shapeless Isle, a place the gods had set aside to imprison the monsters of the sea.

They were alone.

All that they had worked for was lost. No one worshipped them any longer; the gods of Olympus had prevailed, destroying through subterfuge the ones who should have superseded them.

Three had suffered this fate through the victimization of one. Her two elder sisters blamed her for their disgrace; cut off from all their former activities, they now devoted the whole of their time to tormenting the youngest in punishment.

And yet, even now, condemned to a living hell of three, the gods did not leave them in peace.

Even disgraced and in eternal exile, her sisters were still immortal, still possessed of the unchanging, inhuman beauty with which they had been born. The gods made this known to their followers, and with their blessing and encouragement, many men invaded the Shapeless Isles, lusting after the fallen goddesses and seeking to take possession of them.

And here, the one who had once been a priestess found a new purpose.

Mortals. She had drawn them once, and gathered them for the gods. Now, the gods sent them to her.

If the gods were beyond her reach, these fools who came in their name were not. If she could not be a goddess - could not be a priestess - she would be an avenger.

Not a single man escaped.

And yet, the flow of those who challenged the island did not slacken. If anything, it grew - for not only did lustful men still come in quest of the elders' bodies, but now would-be heroes came as well, in quest of the youngest's life.

And so, the youngest killed. She killed, and killed, and killed, and devoured the flesh of those she slaughtered; her legend grew, and so too did the ranks of those she consumed. Indeed, in time she grew to enjoy the experience.

And the final part of Athena's plan came to fruition.

Unlike her sisters, the youngest was mortal. She continued to grow, continued to change...and the shape of those changes was determined by the same forces that had given her birth to begin with.

She had come to think like a monster. The people had come to fear her as a monster.

And thus, she became a monster in truth.

Her appearance had changed. She did not retain a form that was even remotely human; nothing of her former beauty remained. She lost the gift of speech, and much of her intelligence as well. She had become a ravenous beast that would attack, petrify, and devour any who came near, without distinction or restraint.

She continued to kill for a time, but the ranks of those who came to die finally began to thin, and eventually to die out. The gods had ceased to goad the adventurous. There was no need to squander further mortals on the project; they had what they wanted.

The Shapeless Isle was now a place of death. Even the other monsters had fallen prey, and been consumed; nothing remained alive, save for the one who had once been a priestess.

And her two elder sisters.

What did they think of what their younger sister had become? She did not know. Even in better times, she had never understood them; now, she barely recognized them at all.

They were Other - and in her diminished, monstrous state, there was only one way to deal with Others.

And yet, it was strange. They came to her willingly; when she attacked, they did not strike back. Perhaps they spoke; she could no longer realize if they did, much less understand their words.

But they did not fight her. And when she consumed them, they did not resist.

And then it was done.

She had attacked and devoured her own kin. Even if she did not understand it, on some level, she felt it; she knew that she had done something irreparable.

Where once there were three, now there was one. The ideals had given way to a nightmare. And her family was gone - destroyed by her own hand.

In this place of death, she was truly alone.

* * *

In the dream, she failed to protect.

For ten years and twelve battles, the king had led her country without a misstep. But now, a decade of war had given birth to a decade of peace, in turn.

The age of chaos had demanded an absolute hero. But an age of peace had no need for a savior; indeed, such a hero was only a nuisance to those not in need of salvation. While her land was in peril, the king had suppressed the knights with results. But now, with the barbarians driven away...

_"King Arthur does not understand human feelings."_

There was one constant to the reign of the king.

Even on the throne.

Even in a hallway.

Even on a battlefield.

No one talked to her.

Even the loud round table, filled with the knights' tales of bravado, fell silent when the king stepped in.

She tried to be an ideal king.

Being an ideal king was the condition of their support.

But the more perfect she was, the more people kept away from her. The longer she stayed that way, the more isolated she became.

In war, such things did not matter. All that was required was that the king function as the "king" - that she be strong for the people living in fear of savage invasions, and an excellent commander to lead the knights on the battlefield.

But in peace...

This was not to say that there was no conflict. It was "peace" in the sense that army did not fight army. But the knights were, above all else, knights; they were bred and trained for combat, and could no more trade their swords for plowshares than they could cause the sun to rise in the west and set in the east.

They jousted. They quested. They engaged in all manner of squabbles, and drew one another's blood.

And above all, they revolted against the king.

_"King Arthur does not understand human feelings."_

One knight said these words, then left the castle.

He was not alone in doing so. Several reputable knights left Camelot; others fought them, and many on both sides lost their lives.

The king, as always, took these as natural events, and accepted them as part of the process of government. But this only caused the remaining knights' dissatisfaction with her to grow even greater; they pushed even more of their problems onto her, and cornered her.

Ruin was in sight.

Death, if she could not solve all the problems.

Even if she did solve them, the result would be the same.

And then - into this turbulent, violent peace - after twelve years, war came to her country once more.

The enemy this time was the empire.

That great, yawning, dying behemoth that had abandoned them in a vain effort to save itself had indeed collapsed. But a small remnant had taken control of its capital. Taking the mantle of the fallen empire for his own, the new emperor pressed afresh the claim that his predecessors had relinquished, and demanded their surrender.

The king rode forth to meet him. Across the sea, in the land of Gaul, she dealt the new emperor a devastating defeat - and then, understanding that if she stopped there the threat would return in time, she prepared to march on the capital itself.

But that was not to be...for in her absence, the knights had risen against her once more. One knight had usurped her throne, and split her country in two.

And so she returned. She and those loyal to her waged a civil war, and knights and chivalry were utterly destroyed.

She slashed away the knights that had once followed her. She attacked the lands she had once protected.

The people, for whose sake she abandoned her heart, died at her own hands.

The usurper died. The knights who followed the usurper died. The knights loyal to the king died, as well.

In the end, all that was left was the king.

The solitary girl who was always betrayed and never understood knelt alone on a red hill of corpses.

That was normal. Nothing had changed.

She knew she was dying, but such a thing did not matter. She had been shown her future by the mage, on the day she drew the sword; she had always known that she would be resented by humanity and die a miserable death.

What mattered was that the country was in ruin.

She had destroyed her own kingdom. She had failed to protect those she had vowed to protect.

She had sworn to bear a sword for the sake of a land in need of a strong king.

But in the end, she had not been strong enough.

She knelt alone, atop the hill of her final battle.

And the heart she had thrown away was filled with nothing but bitter regret.

* * *

In the dream, she was alone.

She was treated as an object by all around her. She never led a human life, and no one ever showed her even the slightest kindness.

Every day brought a fresh torture. Her sense of smell would be burned away, then forcibly returned to her. Her sense of hearing would be amplified, so that even the slightest noise was like a spike piercing her brain. Her sight would be ripped away from her, so that she could see only her own blood.

Whenever she was thrown to the worms, she would have to ask for her grandfather's permission even to breathe.

She almost died every day, but no one cared. Those who were supposed to be her family had no interest in her well-being.

They didn't train her. They didn't expect anything from her intelligence; they only taught her body. They made her not a mage, but merely a tool that used magic.

And nobody cared.

Rather, they laughed. The more pain they gave her, the better a tool she would become.

Even outside of training, they abused her. They poisoned her food, so that even eating became a terrifying agony. They weakened her skin, so that bathing even in cold water seemed to sear away her flesh, laying bare the bones beneath. They strained her muscles, so that even the simple act of lying down wracked her body with pain.

The more she begged them to stop, the more delighted they became, and the more they tampered with her body.

And always, she endured her torments alone.

Her sister was gone.

Her uncle was dead.

She had been sold to a father and grandfather who violated her, and a brother who acknowledged her only to look down at her.

Her body was no longer her own. All she could do was seal away her heart, so that it could not be broken as well; but that was only a small thing, hardly worth even the consideration of the act.

Days gave way to weeks.

Weeks gave way to months.

Months gave way to years.

And still, nothing had changed.

She was a living doll. Her only purpose was to be contorted in whatever agonizing fashion her owners saw fit. She was empty; she had no dreams, no hopes, no ambitions.

She was alone.

And she knew that she always would be.

* * *

_And so, she dreamed._

_She was Sakura. She was Medusa. She was Arturia._

_She was a goddess, and a schoolgirl, and a king; she was British, and Greek, and Japanese. She had been sold by her family; she had been betrayed by the gods; she had chosen her ruin of her own free will._

_She was three, and she was one._

_Her own self was lost in the tumult of her lives. Servant and Master did not matter; human and Heroic Spirit were irrelevant. The only thing that was important now was surviving the vortex of three lifetimes' worth of memories._

_Separation would come later. By the time she woke, each one of her would regain her own identity._

_But the time of waking was not now. Now, she slept, and she dreamed, and she desperately sought out an anchor - something, _anything_ to which she might cling in this storm of the past._

_And she found her anchor._

_She was three different women. She had led three different lives, in three different lands, and three different eras. And yet, however different her three lives might have been, three things remained constant:_

_She never had a friend._

_She never asked for help._

_And she never smiled - not once._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	11. Feb 6: Descent Into Hell

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g, _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

My site, the Codex Scribanus, is still without a home as of this writing (and I still welcome any suggestions my readers might have along those lines).

If/when I find a new host, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, as well as my LiveJournal (see author profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

Profuse thanks go once again to my troubleshooters extraordinaire, Elf, Kami, and Shack. I couldn't do this without them. (Don't hold that against them, though.)

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

_And so, he learned._

_Emiya Shirou's pain continued to grow. The flow of energy he could not hope to contain continued to expand, breaking his Magic Circuits anew, then breaking them again, and again. The suffering crashed upon him in waves, each cresting higher and more unbearable than the last._

_He did not know how long he had thus far endured. Time had lost all meaning for him; things like hours and minutes and seconds belonged to a world where people could move, where things could change. They belonged to a world, vaguely remembered, where people slept to mark the passage between one day and the next._

_It was a world that Shirou, ever awake, trapped in an unending, unmoving, pain-filled Now, no longer belonged to._

_He barely remembered what it was like to dream. Never mind that the only things he'd dreamt of were swords and the fire; even when nightmares of the fire haunted him well into his waking hours, the dreams had nonetheless served a purpose. They were a necessary stabilizer, an essential part of how his brain reset itself in preparation for the next day._

_He hadn't appreciated how necessary those dreams were. In his current state, he'd barely even noticed how his mind was deteriorating until the same force that had restored his mind in the first place took it upon itself to repair this defect, as well._

_But lacking the gentle cleansing of dreams, the force could only purge his mind by flushing it with overwhelming magical energy. It was an intensely painful experience - notable even among the many pains Shirou had almost grown accustomed to enduring - and worse yet, now that he had experienced this brute-force purification, he could sense the difference. He could see the "dirt" that had gathered in his mind, how it had been washed away...and how it was even now regenerating at a steady pace._

_The agonizing mental scouring would happen again, and again, and again, and there was nothing he could do but await it with mounting dread._

_But even that pain had been rendered insignificant._

_The history of Ilyasviel von Einzbern was laid out before him. Piece by piece, dive by dive, he had gathered her past._

_His self-appointed task was still not complete, but what he had found thus far was overwhelming in its own right. His perception was filled with a chaotic array of winter and agony, and all he could do was wonder why he had ever thought this was a good idea._

_He already knew that pain to the soul was greater than pain to the body. But with the revelations he had so foolishly sought out, Shirou now learned that there was something worse even than pain to the soul._

Sister.

She should have been my **sister.**

_Shirou felt sick._

_Ilyasviel von Einzbern was the daughter of Emiya Kiritsugu._

_And this parentage was to her everlasting misfortune._

_It was difficult to tell her age. She was not human; though she was born of a man and a woman, that woman was a homunculus - and so, too, was Ilya. Her growth had stopped on the cusp of adolescence; no matter how long she lived, she would always possess the body of a child._

_Her parents had left her. Her mother had gone off to die. Her father had left at the same time, in order to fight. Before he left, though, he promised Ilya that he would return for her._

_He never did._

_Kiritsugu had betrayed the Einzberns - and so, Ilya was made to suffer in his place._

_She was always alone. She was always shunned. She spent her days wandering through the Einzberns' castle by herself. No one talked to her; she was seen by her elders as an object of scorn, a shame of which the family could not rid itself._

_And then came the Holy Grail War._

_She was to be the vessel for this new War, just as her mother had been before her. She was fated to have nothing, to break down and die - but the elders were still not satisfied._

_Ilya was forced to be not merely the vessel for this new War, but a Master, as well._

_It was the normal course of events for the Great Holy Grail to choose its Masters, and gift them with Command Spells. It would then assist each of those it had chosen in summoning a Servant, and help to maintain the Servants' presence in the world._

_But this was not the case for Ilya._

_She was chosen to be a Master, not by the Greater Grail, but by the Einzberns. Even though she had been given no Command Spells, she was still forced to summon a Servant._

_And she was forced to make that Servant Berserker._

_As a matter of strategy, it was an incredibly stupid decision. The Servant that had been chosen for Ilya to summon was the greatest hero of ancient Greece; his most famous weapon was the bow and arrows with which he had slain the Hydra - but as a Berserker, these arms would be denied to him._

_That did not matter to the Einzberns, though. The Servant they had chosen would win, regardless of his class. The handicap of not being an Archer was insignificant for them._

_What mattered to the Einzberns was what summoning him as a Berserker would do to his Master._

_The Berserker class was a poison pill in the Holy Grail War. It was used on a weaker Servant, taking away its sanity in return for an increase in strength, far exceeding the powers the Servant had in life. But the more powerful a Servant became, the greater the burden on the Master; the Masters of every previous Berserker had been unable to control their rampaging Servants, and destroyed themselves by running out of magical energy. Summoning Berserker was tantamount to a death sentence for the Master...death in the most excruciating fashion imaginable._

_And now, Ilya had been forced to summon a Berserker - not a lesser being in need of such a boost, but one of the mightiest Heroic Spirits in recorded history._

_The results were not hard to guess._

_The days that followed had no other purpose than to torture Ilya in the name of training. Her Command Spells were not granted by the Grail, but engraved on her body; they did no good as a Magic Circuit, and only drained her life away._

_Shirou had thought that he knew what Ilya went through. He had experienced countless flashes of nearly unbearable phantom pain, flashes he now knew to be an echo of what Ilya was feeling in supporting Berserker._

_But he was naive. What he had experienced was what Ilya was feeling_ now___- now, with the Holy Grail War properly begun, and the Grail assisting the Masters in maintaining their Servants._

_Berserker was summoned before the Grail was prepared for any Masters to do so. Ilya was forced to support Berserker - a truly mighty Heroic Spirit, further empowered by his class - all on her own._

_There was no comparing the two states. It was not a question of endurance, or of fortitude; even the slightest move on Berserker's part would cause Ilya to scream in agony - and so her screams echoed through the castle without ceasing, throughout the day and throughout the night._

_But the elders were still not satisfied with that. They did not allow Ilya to rest. They cast her and her Servant into the snowy forests surrounding the castle, filled with hungry beasts._

_The only way for her to survive was to rely on the giant she had been given. She had to use Berserker to live - at the cost of perpetual, mind-searing pain._

_A brief scene: A moment of dead peace, bought with the corpses of a multitude of wolves surrounding them. Ilya, in a torn, blood-soaked shift, was barely able to move for the pain; nearby, Berserker stood as still as he could, trying to avoid any unnecessary movements. But even then, he still breathed - and with every rise and fall of his massive chest, Ilya's tiny frame was rocked with a fresh spasm._

_This was the pair at rest. Soon, the attacks would resume...and with them, Ilya's endless hell._

_And with every swing - every scream of pain - every fresh torture Shirou witnessed - the thought ran once again through his head:_

I caused this.

_Ilya was in this miserable state because Kiritsugu had left her._

_Kiritsugu had adopted Shirou._

_Was it any wonder that she had attacked him?_

"Shirou, saving one person means not saving another."

_How many times had his father told him that?_

_He'd thought he knew._

_He'd thought he understood._

_He'd even applied the words to his own situation - how he alone had been saved from the fire - and taken a child's pride in his insight._

_Not even once had he considered the possibility that, in saving Shirou, there was someone in particular that Emiya Kiritsugu was abandoning._

* * *

**_THE WORLD WITHOUT_**

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER XI**

**2/6: DESCENT INTO HELL**

Saber stirred to awareness slowly, and with great reluctance.

She'd slept heavily, but not restfully. She was still exhausted, and wanted little more than to close her eyes and sleep again.

"Mmm..."

Saber stiffened. Next to her, Sakura murmured softly, then settled back down to sleep.

_Sakura?_

It took her a moment to remember why her Master was there. When she did, Saber felt an embarrassed flush spread over her body.

And a moment after that, the memories of the previous night's dreams returned in a flood.

Just remembering the deluge was enough to make her shudder. She had no experience with these dreams to draw on - she had never formed anything even remotely resembling a bond with Kiritsugu in the previous War - and she had no idea what had triggered that.

Had it been the sex? The reversal of her bond with Sakura? Maybe it was even something as simple as her desire to better understand her Master.

She didn't know - but whatever the case, _that_ was not what she'd had in mind.

Somehow, she'd gained not only Sakura's memories (and far more of those than she would have wanted to take in at one time) but Rider's, as well - and in spite of now knowing more, she was further from _understanding_ them than she'd ever been. She couldn't see how those pasts could have led to the two that she now knew.

There was another worry, as well. It had not just been Sakura and Rider's pasts in her dreams. She had seen her _own_, as well, and that was even harder to make sense of. She knew who she was; there was no need for her own memories to be included -

_Unless there was someone to see them._

Saber's breath caught in her throat. Had _Sakura and Rider_ somehow gotten caught up in that, as well?

Rider was right. She really _didn't_ think of the consequences of her actions.

_Rider..._

Saber frowned. That, at least, was one thing she'd gotten from this. She was almost certain of Rider's identity, now; the garb made sense, as did the inexplicable sense of threat she'd felt from the Servant, in spite of Rider not gathering any magical energy for an attack.

It took no energy to take off her mask.

Saber sighed quietly, then turned to her Master. "Sakura, it is morning."

Sakura breathed softly.

"Sakura?"

No answer.

Saber nudged her, then again, a little more strongly. But Sakura still did not respond.

_She must be exhausted._

Which was evidence that Sakura, too, had been a part of..._that._

Saber looked at Sakura again, and frowned. "A tool that uses magic..."

For all that Saber had seen, she hadn't seen everything. She was still missing some significant pieces to the puzzle.

What she had seen, though, was bad enough. Her Master was not human in any sense but the most superficial. It was uncomfortably close to what Saber herself had undergone, when she became king - and Sakura, unlike Saber, had not been given a choice in the matter.

And Zouken called her his _heir?_

Saber frowned. Her mind went back again to that mysterious pressure Sakura had exerted on her three nights ago. There was more going on here than she knew. Zouken was planning something...but what?

Sakura, his heir - no, his _tool_ - to what end was he using her?

Perhaps Rider had a better idea of the situation. Saber would have to ask, when they met next.

After Saber apologized, anyway.

For now, though, all Saber could do was see to her Master's well-being, as best she could.

And for now, the best she could do was to let her Master get some extra rest.

Thankfully, Sakura's grip had loosened during the night. Saber was able to slip free and get out of bed.

It was only then that she realized - she and Sakura were both naked. Where were their clothes?

A pair of stockings lay on the floor by the bed. They were Sakura's - and they were the only article of clothing in sight. Saber frowned again. They hadn't been _that..._

...had they?

She padded out of the room, still nude.

The next ten minutes were spent collecting clothes, trying to piece together what had happened as she did. Here, Sakura's vest, where she'd shrugged out of it in her haste. (Why had she still been wearing her uniform, anyway? Did she really not think to wear anything else?) Here, a torn pair of panties, where Sakura had grabbed Saber's hand and...

By the time she reached the entryway, Saber's arms were heaped high with clothing, and her face was a deep scarlet.

On the bright side, she thought she'd found all their clothes. On the not-so-bright side, few of them would be able to function as clothes again. Sakura had been..._enthusiastic_...last night.

Saber would have to find a new outfit.

A key turned in the lock outside, and Saber froze. The doors to the outer gate were being unlocked, and now opened. That had to be -

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!"

There was a half-second of panic. Then Saber dashed away from the entryway. Her Servant's garb formed around her as she moved; she banished the armor with a thought, leaving behind a blue dress with a white bodice.

The style was not modern, and would be very noticeable. Still, that was less suspicious than nudity.

Saber deposited the clothes in the laundry - Sakura could figure out which ones were salvageable later - then walked back out, and met Sakura's teacher in the hallway.

"Good morning, Taiga."

"Saber-chan?" Taiga glanced at the dress, then shook her head. "Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Still sleeping."

"Sleeping now?" Taiga frowned in concern. "She's not - "

"No, she is all right." Saber glanced back, then lowered her voice. "However, she is exhausted. I tried to wake her, but she remains insensate. Yesterday was very stressful for her; I thought it best to let her sleep."

"I see." Taiga looked troubled, for some reason. "But practice is..."

"She will have to miss it this morning," Saber said firmly. "It is for the best."

"It's not that, it's..." Taiga shook her head with a frown. "Well, never mind. She'll see when she gets to school."

"Taiga, what is wrong? Has something happened?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Saber-chan. Though..." She trailed off, and began to look worried.

"What is it?"

"If Sakura-chan is asleep, what are we going to do about breakfast?"

Saber froze.

"That...is a good point." She glanced toward the kitchen uneasily. "There is little time. I am not much of a cook, but I suppose I can - "

"No, that's all right. You're a guest, Saber-chan." Taiga's face broke in a sudden maniacal grin. "Leave this to me!"

She dashed past Saber, and into the kitchen.

A moment later, loud banging noises began to emanate, interspersed with Taiga cursing.

Saber stared, then shook her head.

"I hope she does not wake Sakura."

A short time later, Taiga and Saber were seated at the table in the living room. A dish filled with gleaming white granules sat before each of them.

"Just rice?"

Taiga laughed sheepishly. "Well, there wasn't much time. Rice doesn't take long to prepare, so..."

"I see." And she could. Taiga hadn't taken long with this; the rice stuck together in clumps, and some of the rice was so dry it looked like she could snap the grains in two.

Still, food was food. Saber began to eat.

"Oh, but that doesn't mean I couldn't do anything! I threw in a bunch of curry powder, so it won't just be plain rice."

Saber grunted, and continued to eat -

Wait.

Curry powder?

In _steamed rice?_

At that moment, the flavor kicked in.

Saber stopped eating.

"Saber-chan?"

Saber calmly laid down her chopsticks. She calmly rose to her feet.

Then she calmly bolted for the kitchen, and turned the water on full blast in an effort to wash the taste out of her mouth.

"So...how is it?"

Saber lifted her head, and calmly met the teacher's eyes.

For a long moment, the two just looked at each other, neither moving.

Then Fujimura Taiga turned, and fled for her life.

* * *

Sakura's stomach rumbled unhappily.

She blushed, and had to resist the urge to stop and look around. She was alone on the road to school; there was no one around to see her...except maybe Saber.

_Saber..._

Sakura sighed in annoyance.

Her Servant meant well. She knew that, and she did feel better this morning, but that wasn't the point. Saber had let her sleep in so long that not only had she missed morning practice - not only had she missed seeing Fujimura-sensei this morning - she hadn't even had time to make herself breakfast or a lunch.

And the little time she did have, Saber had spent covering her Command Spells.

Sakura could feel the cloth, almost uncomfortably tight, wrapped around both wrists. Saber had bandaged over her Command Spells, then done the same for her other wrist - where Rider's Command Spells should have been - for good measure.

When Sakura asked why, Saber had glanced away with a troubled look on her face. There was a flicker in Sakura's mind - for an instant, she saw a woman with red hair, beautiful even in sleep, missing one hand - but all Saber would say was that it was better to be safe.

Sakura was doing her best not to think about what could be bothering her Servant. She had a very good idea what it might be, but she didn't want to acknowledge it; it was better, she thought, to pretend that nothing had happened than it was to deal with the consequences.

And Sakura was very good at pretending.

She busied her mind instead with the task in front of her. She had to get to school, but before she arrived she had to think of a way to apologize to Mitsuzuri-senpai for missing practice -

She almost walked headlong into her brother before she realized he was there.

"Nii - " She gulped. "Nii-san..."

Shinji stood in the middle of the road, dressed in his school uniform, glaring at her.

Sakura's mind raced. She knew why he was angry. It wasn't just the club; Sensei had told her last night that he'd been suspended for hitting her.

There had to be something she could do - but what?

She wondered, for a brief, irrational moment, if Rider was with him...but that was meaningless. Of course Rider was with him; there was no point in bringing it up again, and her mental dithering was wasting valuable time.

There was only one thing she could think of to say.

"Nii-san...I..."

Shinji didn't speak, but his body tightened. Sakura swallowed heavily.

"Nii-san, I'm sorry..."

Shinji's face darkened. He raised his hand to strike her; Sakura closed her eyes and looked away, waiting for the blow...

...which didn't come.

Sakura opened her eyes. Shinji still stood before her; his face was flushed, his hand was still raised, and his entire body was trembling.

"Nii...san...?"

Shinji pulled his hand down to his side with a violent jerk. He glared at her a moment longer, then spun away and stalked off.

"Nii-san...?"

What was _that_ about?

Sakura resumed her trek to school. Then a fresh thought occurred to her, and she stopped in her tracks.

Her brother was suspended, wasn't he?

So why was he wearing his school uniform?

* * *

"Tohsaka? What are you doing here so early?"

Rin stopped in surprise at the school gates.

"Mitsuzuri-san, good morning."

She hadn't expected to see her at this time of day. Rin was a bit early, but not _that_ early; morning practices should have still been in session.

Nonetheless, Mitsuzuri Ayako was here, at the school gates - in her school uniform, rather than the kimono, hakama, and chest protector she wore on the range, so this wasn't just her momentarily stepping out.

"Did practice end early this morning?"

"Not exactly." Ayako grimaced. "Practice was cancelled."

"Cancelled?"

"Yeah, it..." She sighed. "Oh, what the hell - you'll be finding out soon anyway. Tohsaka, you remember our old captain, right?"

Rin did not stiffen. It took every ounce of concentration she had, but she managed it, somehow. "Of course. What about her?"

"She's dead."

_Careful._

Surprise was warranted here. Rin allowed her eyes to widen. "_Dead?_ How - "

"No one knows." Rin forced herself to pay closer attention. Ayako's face was drawn, and there were bags under her eyes. "She was found by the dojo last night. Doesn't look like a murder, but there's no cause of death they can find, either. It's like she just...keeled over."

_Careful._

Rin allowed shock to enter her voice - not too much, but she should be a little frightened. "Mitsuzuri-san, that's - that's - "

"There's going to be an assembly this morning." Ayako brusquely shook her head. "I told the club at practice, but not everyone comes in the mornings, so I'm waiting here for the others. They deserve to hear it before the rest of the school does."

"I...I see."

It was funny. Rin had been thinking about the girl almost nonstop since her death, but she hadn't connected her to the rest of the archery club...until now.

She hadn't thought at all about the effect the death would have on them. She hadn't thought about how Ayako would react - or Sa -

_**Careful.**_

Rin took a deep breath. "I shouldn't distract you, then. Take care."

"You too, Tohsaka." Ayako flashed a weak smile. "I'll see you...at the assembly, I guess."

The smile faded, and she turned away.

Rin gladly seized the opening offered. She walked quickly past Ayako, through the gates and into the school.

There had to be someplace convenient where she could collapse for a while.

* * *

"Matou - "

The teacher stopped and shook his head, and Sakura carefully suppressed a grimace. "Makino-san, please read from..."

Makino stood so rapidly, she almost knocked her chair over, and Sakura stopped herself from grimacing again.

Ever since they'd returned from the assembly, the teachers had been going out of their way to leave her alone. Her classmates had done likewise; Sakura was the only member of the archery club in the class, and everyone was tiptoeing around her, as if fearing that in her grief, a stray breeze might break her in two.

It was almost comical. Between her brother's influence and her own natural reticence, the class had collectively decided to ignore her less than a month into the school year; in their exaggerated isolation, they were paying her more attention than they had in over eight months.

It was also completely mistaken.

Sakura didn't feel grief.

Sakura didn't feel anything at all.

She wasn't even sure what she was supposed to be feeling. She'd shared no particular bond with her former captain; as a person, the girl didn't matter to Sakura one way or the other.

As captain, she'd been harsh - at one point early in the year, she'd actually provoked _Shinji_ into defending Sakura, alongside Senpai - but Sakura needed that harshness. She was weak and inconsistent; without someone driving her, she couldn't do anything - more, she'd lose what she had already done.

But the captain had left the club to concentrate on her university entrance exams. They no longer had anything to do with one another.

So, again: What was Sakura supposed to feel?

Her mind continued to go in circles through morning classes; when the lunch bell rang, she still didn't move. She needed food, but she couldn't even bring herself to stand up, let alone brave the chaos at the cafeteria (why, why, _why_ had Saber not woken her up in time to make a lunch?).

She didn't notice the sudden silence, at first. It was just something in the background - unusual, but of course it had nothing to do with her.

Nothing about her classmates had anything to do with her.

It wasn't until a shadow fell across her desk that she truly took note, as she looked up...and all thoughts of her former captain were blasted from her mind.

"T...Tohsaka-senpai..."

Tohsaka Rin stood before her.

"Hello, Sakura." The older girl offered a quiet smile, and Sakura swallowed hard as she felt the collective eyes of the classroom on her once again...and not in a considerate way, this time.

"I..." Sakura swallowed again. "Can I help you?"

Nee - _Tohsaka-senpai_ nodded. "There is something I wanted to talk to you about. Are you free for lunch?"

_No way._

_This isn't happening._

Sakura tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Finally, she just nodded, while her heart thrashed madly about in her chest.

_This has to be a dream._

_Tohsaka-senpai..._

_She really_ is_..._

"Excellent!" She smiled, and Sakura found herself smiling in return, even as her eyes remained wide in disbelief. "Shall we go, then?"

She turned and walked out of the still-silent classroom.

Sakura rose unsteadily from her seat and followed, barely feeling her feet touch the floor.

* * *

Hitorime Kirishi was not a man given to whimsy, or to flights of fancy. He was a stolid man, solidly built, a plain dresser who did only what was necessary, and nothing more.

He always walked the same course during the lunch hour. He had no need for variety, because he had no interest in what he might see; he walked to exercise his body, and for no other reason.

Every day, he walked around the track, then around the soccer field; he would then pass by the school gates before returning to the teachers' lounge to prepare for his afternoon classes.

Kirishi taught physics at Homurabara Academy, and his teaching style was much like the man himself - plain, no-nonsense, and blunt. This was how the world worked, and that was how it should be.

So when a boy dropped out of the sky as he approached the gates, Kirishi paid little attention to the impossibility of the feat. There was obviously some trick to it, even if he couldn't figure it out at the moment.

Instead, he focused on the boy's identity.

"Matou, what are you doing here?"

Matou Shinji turned at the words, and gave the teacher an arrogant smirk.

"You have no business here, Matou. You've been suspended."

Shinji's smirk grew wider.

"Leave now, Matou, or I'll have to - "

It happened almost too fast for him to track.

It was barely a line of silver across his vision; nonetheless, he followed it with his eyes, and at the end of it he found something outrageous - a woman, dressed (barely) in black, eyes covered with a violet blindfold.

Kirishi opened his mouth to demand an explanation - though whether for the woman's presence or her garb, he was uncertain - but no words emerged. He tried to speak again, a little harder, but all he managed was a gurgling sound.

It was only then, as his strength abandoned him, that he saw the giant spikes in the woman's hands, saw the blood dripping from the tip of one, and realized that his throat had been sliced open.

Kirishi dropped to his knees, then fell forward to the ground. His hands went to his neck, trying desperately to stanch the flow of blood; it was futile, he knew, but it was the only thing he could do.

"You are sure about this? It is still not too late to turn back for today."

"Of course I'm sure. I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Rider - I'm not going to wait any longer."

_Rider?_

What kind of a name was that?

"Shinji. The Bloodfort has only been in place for four days. If I activate it now, the effect will be substantially diluted. Even one more day would - "

There was a dull _thud_ as fist met flesh, and Kirishi felt a flash of outrage. It was silly of him, considering the woman had killed him, but...

He realized his mind was wandering, and struggled to refocus.

"...your place, _Servant!_" Shinji was shouting. "You do what I tell you, when I tell you to do it, and you'll like it! Is that clear?"

Silence.

"I said - _is that clear?_"

"...I understand, Shinji. I will begin at once."

_Begin what?_

But it no longer mattered. The last of his strength had faded away; sight and sound dissolved into a dull gray mist.

Hitorime Kirishi closed his eyes, and breathed his last.

* * *

She'd bought her lunch.

It was a cheap lunch, just a package of bread and a canned drink, and it wouldn't even have been necessary if she hadn't overslept by nearly two hours, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that Tohsaka Rin - the notorious skinflint, who, she knew, scrimped and saved every yen she could to buy the jewels she needed for her family's magecraft - _had bought Matou Sakura lunch._

It was almost too much for Sakura to take. Tohsaka-senpai had bought her lunch, had brought her up here to the roof - to her own private lunch spot, where no one else dared intrude. She'd even given her a seat by the water tower, out of the wind. And then, she sat next to her.

Sakura could scarcely have dreamed of it. For all that she'd hoped, she hadn't truly _expected_ - and now that it was actually happening, she had to resist the urge to pinch herself and make sure she was awake.

"Sakura?"

"Eh?" Sakura blinked, and realized that the other girl was staring at her in concern. "Yes, Tohsaka-senpai?"

"Are you all right? You were kinda spaced out there, for a minute."

_Kinda spaced out._

The perfect honor student would never have said something like that.

She'd never even guessed.

Sakura felt once again that familiar surge of jealousy and awe she'd always felt in watching from afar. She was even better at wearing masks than Sakura herself.

Tohsaka Rin really was amazing.

But that was superseded by another realization, accompanied by a rush of pleasure:

Tohsaka Rin had willingly discarded that mask in Sakura's presence.

"Sakura?"

Sakura flinched.

_Stupid! What are you doing, spacing out _now_?_

"I'm sorry, Tohsaka-senpai. Today has been..."

She trailed off, and Rin flashed her a wry grin. "Isn't _that_ the truth. It's..." She paused, then shook her head. "Sakura, how are you doing? Really?"

"I'm fine, Tohsaka-senpai. I - " She saw the look the other girl was giving her, and deflated. "Really, I'm all right. Things have been stressful lately, but..."

"And Shinji?" Sakura's eyes widened, and she saw Tohsaka-senpai flinch slightly. "I heard about what happened," the older girl continued. "He hasn't been doing anything else at home, has he? After..."

Sakura shook her head. "It's all right, Tohsaka-senpai. Nii-san...that wasn't his fault. If I had just told him..."

That sounded flimsy, even to her own ears. She didn't need Rin's skeptical look to know to abandon the excuse. "Anyway! I'm staying someplace else right now, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Someplace else?"

Sakura had to keep herself from wincing. She hadn't meant to talk about that.

_Too late now, though._

"Yes. Senpai's...um, you know Emiya-senpai, right?"

"Emiya-kun?" Tohsaka-senpai flinched again, and Sakura recalled too late - she'd accompanied Senpai and Saber to the church that night. "He's out sick, isn't he?"

_Is that what Fujimura-sensei's saying?_

"Yes," Sakura said hurriedly, "that's it, exactly." She could work with this. "He's not in any shape to do housework at the moment" - which wasn't even a lie - "so I'm staying over to help out until he's back on his feet."

Which was, again, nothing but the truth (in a manner of speaking).

Tohsaka-senpai flinched again, though, and Sakura tilted her head in puzzlement.

Alarm bells were going off in the back of her mind, but she couldn't figure out what -

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't call you up here for..." The older girl took a deep breath. "That is to say, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

_Here it comes._

Sakura's breath quickened. "What is it?"

"Sakura."

Her heart pounded madly in her chest.

"Yes, Tohsaka-senpai?"

"I want you to show me your arms."

And the world froze around her.

"...eh?"

"I want you to roll up your sleeves, and show me your arms."

"My...arms...?"

_My arms - _

_My **Command Spells - **_

And everything Sakura had been mentally shunting to one side came back in a flash.

_'The agreement between your families is suspended during the War.'_

_During the War._

_**The War.**_

Tohsaka Rin was a Master.

"Sakura?"

_Stupid!_

_Stupid!_

_STUPID!_

How could she have forgotten something so _basic?_

"Sakura." Rin's eyes had narrowed, and her voice turned cold. "Roll up your sleeves."

Sakura had been wrong. She'd misread Tohsaka-senpai's intentions the entire time.

Saber had been right, after all.

Slowly, with trembling hands, she unbuttoned the cuff, and pushed up the sleeve on her left arm.

"The bandage too, Sakura."

_No._

_Please don't._

_Please don't make me - _

And then, the sky turned red.

* * *

Ayako was halfway to the archery range when the sky changed.

"Hn?"

She had begged off her friends' invitations for lunch, and her friends, being the understanding bunch that they were, had left her to it. She'd spent a great deal of time in the former captain's company in preparing to take over the club, and her death had hit Ayako harder than she cared to admit.

But that was not all. If that had been the whole of the problem, she would had preferred to take solace in her friends' company - but that same sense of _wrongness_ she'd been feeling since Shinji was suspended yesterday was still pushing at her, stronger than ever. She had been compelled to find isolation, to try to figure out what was going on, and what she should do.

What she _could_ do.

But now, as jagged bolts of blood stretched across the sky and tinted everything crimson, the push stopped.

Whatever was going on, Ayako was too late.

"Ngh...!"

After a moment, she began to feel it - an oppressive heat, faint at first, but gaining in strength by the minute.

Ayako felt faint; she began to stagger, then dropped to her hands and knees. But her hands touched chilled pavement, and her eyes widened in surprise.

How could the ground be so cold, when Ayako herself was burning up?

Her forehead was damp, and her eyes stung. Ayako reached up to wipe away the sweat...but by the time she brought her hand back down, it was dry again.

"What is...why...?"

And then she realized - it was _her._

It wasn't that the air had gotten any hotter. Somehow, she herself was heating up from within. She was sweating heavily, but she wasn't cooling down at all; something was taking that sweat from her before it could perform its intended function.

"This...this is..."

She was beginning to feel light-headed. It was dehydration, she realized - but she was still sweating. She didn't have anything left to sweat, but she was sweating anyway.

She didn't know how, but she did understand one thing.

_This isn't natural._

_Something is doing this to me._

There was a soft _clank_ at her side. Ayako glanced over. Then she blinked, forced her hand up to wipe at her eyes, and took a second look.

_Am I delirious already?_

"Sa...ber..."

It was indeed Sakura's friend, but not as Ayako had seen her before. Saber's face was locked in a scowl, her green eyes narrowed in a distant gaze that caused Ayako to shiver even as she melted from the inside out. She was dressed in a deep blue dress, and - gauntlets? A breastplate?

_Armor?_

"Saber?" Ayako's voice came in a hoarse croak she barely recognized as her own. "What are you...?"

Saber spun at the words, and her eyes widened.

"Ayako!"

She dashed over, and dropped to one knee, causing another _clank_ as the metal plates on the side of her skirt bounced off the ground. "Ayako, are you all right?"

"Not sure." With an effort, Ayako forced her head up to meet Saber's gaze. "You're probably a hallucination, so that can't be good...and I'm _talking_ to a hallucination, so..." She chuckled weakly.

"Here." Cool, metal-clad hands - too solid to be a hallucination - gripped her shoulders, and eased her onto her back. "Try not to move," Saber said. "Conserve your strength as best you can."

Now that she was on her back, Ayako had a good look at the sky. The deep red streaks all converged at a single point in the air, somewhere behind Saber's head.

_Dome. This is some kind of dome._

"Saber...what's going on? Why am I...?"

Saber winced, and looked away.

"I see..."

Saber's mouth twisted. "What is she thinking?" she muttered. "Even if they were attacked, to activate it this early...and _you_, of all people - after what you did, I cannot believe that she would not have at least - "

"'She'?"

_What I did?_

Saber winced again, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then looked down at Ayako again, her face set.

"I am going to get you out of here. There has to be some means of escape, and for you, I am sure - "

She cut off suddenly. Her eyes went wide, and her head whipped around in the direction of the main building.

"_Sakura!_"

Saber stood abruptly. "Ayako, I have to go. Do not move; I will be back for you soon."

And then, between one blink and the next, Saber was gone.

"Wha - "

Ayako weakly raised her head - and her eyes widened in shock. Saber was already twenty feet away; as Ayako watched in disbelief, she leaped high into the air, rapidly fading into a tiny, dark violet speck in the crimson light.

A dark violet speck bounding towards the main building.

"What's..." Ayako swallowed around a dry throat. "What's going on?"

_Sakura._

That was what Saber had said, wasn't it?

"Matou...what have you gotten yourself into...?"

Saber had told her to stay here. But Sakura was part of the archery club...and Ayako still couldn't shake the strange feeling that she had contributed to this, somehow.

Her club.

Her responsibility.

Ayako took a deep breath, almost choking on the unnatural heat, and forced herself to sit up. A wave of dizziness threatened to overpower her, but she forced herself to roll over onto her knees, then slowly clambered back to her feet.

She felt dangerously light-headed, but there was no helping that now - she had a hunch it wasn't going to get any better. So Mitsuzuri Ayako began to stumble in the same direction that Saber had gone.

Towards the school's main building.

Towards Matou.

And towards whatever was causing all this.

* * *

"What - " She looked around, eyes wide. "What is this? What's going on?"

Her tone spoke of bewilderment, and more than a little dread. If Rin didn't know any better, she would have thought that Sakura's surprise was genuine.

As it was, though...

"Archer!"

Rin's Servant materialized with the usual metallic shimmer. Sakura's head whipped around at the sound - she recognized it; that was the last confirmation Rin had needed - and she stumbled back as Archer stepped forward, twin swords in hand.

"T-Tohsaka-senpai - "

"Call it off," Rin said in a low voice.

"Tohsaka-senpai...I - I don't know what you're..."

"Tell your Servant to shut down this boundary field." Rin's eyes narrowed. "Or else."

"My Servant - " Sakura shook her head in denial. "Tohsaka-senpai, I didn't - I wouldn't - "

"The game's up, Sakura."

Sakura flinched, and Rin had to control herself as she felt an answering pang in her own chest. But she'd known this was coming. She'd finally figured everything out, and she'd been prepared.

So her voice was even as she continued to speak.

"I wouldn't have expected it from you. This boundary field is going to kill every single person in this school - you were raised better than this."

Wide eyes and a sharp hiss told Rin she'd hit the mark. "Tohsaka-senpai, I didn't - "

"Maybe it's better this way." Rin shook her head. "If you've fallen this far, then it's my responsibility as supervisor to take care of you - but we're both Masters, so that makes it my responsibility to take care of you, anyway."

"_Tohsaka-senpai - !_"

"Sakura. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Rin's voice hardened. "But either way, your Holy Grail War ends here."

Sakura stared at Rin, tears streaming down her cheeks.

_"Archer, is there any sign of Rider?"_

_"I can sense her presence, but I don't have a location."_ Archer stood perfectly still, swords trained on Sakura. _"She's somewhere within the boundary field. Beyond that, though..."_

_"I see."_ Rin scowled. _"Keep your eyes peeled; Rider can't ignore a threat to her Master like this forever."_

"Tohsaka-senpai...please." Sakura hiccupped through her tears. "Please, you have to believe me. I didn't - I would _never_ do something like this! It's - "

_"Archer, be ready."_

"Enough stalling." Rin raised her arm, Magic Crest charged. "Either call off your Servant, or - "

"SAKURA!"

And everything that Rin thought she knew was turned on its head...again.

The Servant dropped out of the sky, as if it was only natural for her to do so. Rin could only stare in shock; even Archer was caught off-guard by her appearance.

_SABER?_

The Servant of the Sword landed on the roof, clad in full armor. Sakura had turned to look at her as well, and she seemed as dumfounded as Rin herself.

"Sakura, we have to get out of here! If we do not hurry - "

Rin could tell the exact moment that Saber realized she and Archer were there. She whipped around, hands suddenly wrapped around the hilt of her invisible sword, and dropped into a ready stance - then she got a good look at them.

"RIN?" Saber's jaw dropped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Rin's mind raced. "Saber?" _Sakura's Servant! But that means - _ "What do you - "

"This makes no sense!" Saber glanced from side to side. "If you are here, then who is fighting - "

Her eyes suddenly went wide. Then her shoulders slumped, and she bowed her head.

"That _fool._"

It was the coldest tone of voice Rin had ever heard coming from the Servant, and she found herself taking an involuntary step back before she realized what she was doing.

"I had half-feared this." Saber's hands tightened around the unseen sword, and a slight breeze set her bangs fluttering. "But even then, I never truly believed it would happen."

The wind picked up strength, and Rin's eyes widened as a faint golden light began to take form above Saber's clenched fists. _Is that...?_

"I did not think it possible that she would have - "

"Saber."

Saber's frame stiffened. The wind abruptly died, and the light disappeared. It took Rin a moment to realize why.

It was Sakura who had spoken. She was violently trembling, and gripped her arm so tightly that even in the red overcast, Rin could see her skin turning pale as the blood flow was cut off.

But none of that so much as touched her voice. "Saber, do you know what's going on?"

Saber shook herself, and gave a terse nod. "Yes, and we have little time to waste. I will explain on the way; she does not have much longer."

"'She'? Saber, what are - "

Sakura's words were lost in a shriek as Saber swept her into her arms. Saber turned away, carrying her Master bridal-style - then froze.

"Archer."

Rin glanced over, and her eyes widened. When she wasn't looking, Archer had exchanged his swords for a bow - the first she'd ever seen him hold - and he now held it drawn, aimed squarely at Saber's back.

The arrow he had nocked was a strange one. It had no fletching, and an elongated, oddly-shaped head. It was barely a proper arrow at all; Rin couldn't see how it could possibly hit anything.

_Is that his Noble Phantasm? But I've never even _heard_ of anything like - _

No. This was not the time.

When Rin looked back, Saber still had not moved. "Archer," she said again. "This is neither the time nor the place."

"Isn't it?" Archer's eyes narrowed. "You may not be behind this boundary field, Saber, but neither are you - "

"Archer, enough." Saber still hadn't turned, but Sakura had twisted around in her arms, and was now looking back at Rin, eyes wide. "He is right though, Saber. You know more than you're telling, and I doubt you're headed off to fight Rider right now."

"_Rider?_" Sakura looked sharply up at Saber, and Rin grew even more confused.

_She knows Rider? But how - _

"Saber, is that true? Rider is - "

"We do not have time for this." Saber turned, Sakura still in her arms. "You speak the truth, Rin. I will not attack Rider. Fighting the source of this boundary field is _your_ task."

She smiled mirthlessly. "Protecting my Master is mine."

She suddenly leaped forward, over Rin and Archer, landing atop the water tower. "We will fight another day."

"Saber! Wait - "

"Rin. I cannot assist you in this fight." Saber looked down at them, and her green eyes smoldered in the crimson light. "But I wish you success in battle, all the same."

"Wish me...! Saber, what's that supposed to - "

The Servant Saber leaped away, dropping down off the building and out of sight.

And taking Matou Sakura - her Master - with her.

* * *

"Mitsuzuri-senpai?"

Saber nodded, eyes fixed forward as she leaped again, Sakura still cradled securely in her arms. "I found her not far from the archery range. She was still conscious when I left her; I have to hope that Rider will have some way for us to get her out of here before it is too late."

"Rider..."

Sakura started to say something else, but before she could speak, Saber came to a halt.

"Saber? What's wrong?" Sakura craned her neck around to look. "There's nothing here. Why - "

"She's gone."

"Gone?"

"Ayako." Saber looked around, eyes wide. "There is no mistake; I left her right here."

"She..." Sakura swallowed. "She hasn't been...?"

"No, the field is not strong enough for that. Even if she had died, it would not have dissolved her corpse so quickly." Saber shook her head and couldn't help but chuckle. "She must have gotten up again after I left. I wouldn't have expected it. Even if the boundary field's effects are not as concentrated as they might have been...that is a strong girl."

Sakura pushed against Saber's chest, and the Servant lowered her back to her feet. "Saber, what's going on? Is this boundary field really Rider's...?"

"I am afraid so." Saber sighed. "I confronted her yesterday, and she freely admitted to setting it up of her own volition. But it was activated prematurely, with a weakened effect; she would not have done so on her own."

"Then why..." Sakura trailed off, and her eyes went wide. "No. Not..."

"It had to have been on Shinji's orders." Saber nodded. "According to Rider, he'd claimed that he would only do so as a defense if Archer's Master attacked him...but that is obviously not the case here."

Saber scowled. "He is using the field simply to indulge in a meaningless slaughter."

"Nii-san..." Sakura looked at the school for a moment, then turned back to the Servant. "Saber. You said the field was activated prematurely."

"It was. Rider said the field needed almost another week to achieve completion."

"And if it had?"

Saber looked away.

"Saber, tell me. What would have happened?"

Saber was half-tempted to say that Sakura should already know - she was Rider's Master, and the Servant should have had no secrets from her. But she had no way of knowing just how much of that knowledge was now blocked by the existence of Shinji's Book of False Attendant...and she knew full well that Sakura would not have bothered to look before it had been made.

"If the field had been completed, it would have activated automatically." Saber reluctantly met Sakura's eyes. "At that time, it would have instantaneously dissolved everyone caught within."

Sakura breathed in sharply. "That's horrible! Rider - why would she do something like that?"

"...Vengeance, I think."

"Vengeance? On the school?" Sakura cocked her head. "I don't understand. Saber, what does that - "

"More importantly, Sakura." _Let Rider explain that one to Sakura herself...if she survives, at least._ "What were you and Rin doing earlier? I cannot imagine it would be comfortable to be up on the roof in the winter."

Sakura flinched, and Saber groaned. "Sakura..."

"Tohsaka-senpai...invited me to lunch."

"And you _accepted?_"

Sakura nodded miserably. "You...you were right, Saber. She just wanted me to show her my arms. She wanted my...my Command Spells..."

She sounded so bewildered that Saber could only shake her head. "Of course she wanted your Command Spells. Sakura, she's a Master! You already knew that! What were you _thinking,_ going off alone with her?"

"I..." Sakura glanced away. "I was..."

_Oh, for the love of - ! What is she hiding _now_?_

"She could have killed you, Sakura!" Saber grabbed Sakura by the shoulders, and gave her a light shake. "There was nowhere for you to run up there - if she'd ordered Archer to cut you down, you would have had to squander another Command Spell to get me to you in time! Of all the reckless, idiotic - "

"DO YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?"

Sakura pushed Saber away, and stumbled back a step. "I know, Saber!" she shouted. "I know she's a Master! I knew she might - but I had to! I had to at least try!"

"Try _what?_"

Sakura ignored the question. Her eyes, already red and swollen, began to tear up again. "I've already lost Senpai! If there was any chance that she - and I didn't - "

"Sakura, I do not understand."

"I know you don't understand." Sakura gave a broken laugh. "How could you? I'm not...I'm not even..." She buried her face in her hands, and began to cry in earnest.

"...Sakura."

Her Master continued to sob.

"Sakura, I am sorry. But we do not have time for this." Saber reached out, and gently pulled Sakura's hands from her face. "We may yet be able to save Ayako."

Sakura's breath caught. "Mitsuzuri-senpai?"

"Yes. But we will lose that chance if you cannot overcome your grief, at least for the moment."

"All...all right." Sakura hiccupped, then straightened; Saber released her hands, and she violently dashed the tears from her eyes. "Okay, I'm ready. What do we do?"

"We need to find Ayako first. It will take too long to search the grounds ourselves, but there is another way."

"What is it?"

"The boundary field."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Rider could use the boundary field for surveillance, even when it was inactive; it should be able to find Ayako now."

"But it's Rider's field. How - " Sakura gasped. "You want me to use her sight," she whispered.

Saber nodded. "A Master can do so, with the Servant's consent. Regardless of the Book of False Attendant, _you_ are Rider's Master - and I do not believe that she would deny you."

"Rider...Nii-san..." Sakura swallowed, then nodded. "All right. I'll try it."

Sakura sank to her knees, and laid her hands in her lap.

Then she took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

* * *

The girl was melting.

It was a slow, but sure process - even as they watched, the girl's skin loosened, and began to slide off her body. Her face was nearly unrecognizable; only her uniform confirmed that she was in fact a girl.

There were two others with her. The three had been gathered around two desks pushed together, with three bentous set out before them. The girl's friends hadn't been as fortunate as she was, though - where she was slumped over one of the desks, the other two had fallen out of their chairs and onto the floor. They must have reached for one another before they lost consciousness; their hands had begun to run together where they touched.

Rin's feet were rooted to the spot. She grit her teeth, and her hands were clenched so tightly that she was shaking...at least, she told herself that that was the reason she was shaking.

She couldn't move. She wanted to move, she knew she _needed_ to move, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She just watched in a daze, as if she could slow down the process by observation.

She'd thought the office building in Shinto had been bad? It didn't even compare to this. It was almost as if -

"Rin."

Archer's voice snapped her back to awareness. She shook her head and took one step back, then spun sharply on her heel, turning away from the gruesome scene.

"Let's go, Archer."

The time she'd wasted with Sakura had been costly. It was already too late for many, like those three girls - even if their lives were spared, they'd been maimed and disfigured in ways that would never heal.

But even so, she _could_ still save their lives...if she could only find Rider.

The next classroom was more of the same, as was the one after that. Small clumps of girls ate lunch together as a matter of course; now, they had been reduced to macabre pools of flesh.

"This is..." Rin stopped short at a sudden thought. "My God - _the cafeteria_ - !"

"Rin, focus. We need to keep moving."

They didn't bother with the next room. Archer couldn't sense Rider inside, so they moved on.

"Archer, you're sure that Rider's actually inside the boundary field?"

"Quite sure." Archer's voice was tight, and Rin glanced over to see him gritting his teeth.

_So this is affecting him, too._

"If the field had matured," he continued, "that would be one thing. But to trigger it early like this, her presence is required."

Rin nodded. "Makes sense."

"Even if that weren't the case - Saber knows that she's here."

She grimaced. "Saber. Right."

Archer glanced over. "Is something wrong?"

"I screwed up again."

Rin scowled darkly. How had she missed the possibility of Saber being Sakura's Servant?

She should have known already. That was why Saber had been at the edge of the forest that day. It was why her Command Spells had reacted - _Sakura was in the dojo._

"I was so sure that Sakura was Rider's Master - "

"It's still not out of the question, you know."

"Yes, I know." To form a contract with Saber, Sakura had to already have Command Spells; that meant she'd had another Servant beforehand. "But I don't think so. Another Servant, maybe - but Saber wouldn't be acting like that if Rider was under Sakura's command."

"Perhaps." Archer didn't sound convinced. "That still leaves four alternatives."

Rin shook her head. "It's not Berserker. That class drains its Master all by itself - there's no way she could be supporting a second Servant."

There was a thought, though. If Sakura had a second Servant, then Saber was at half-power, and -

Rin shook her head again. "It's not Lancer, either."

"Why so sure?"

"He stabbed Emiya-kun." And nothing more needed to be said about that.

"I take it she doesn't live at Ryudou Temple."

Rin nodded. "And she wouldn't be capable of pulling off a spell like that, either."

"So that leaves Caster, then?"

"That _would_ be the most likely option. But..."

"Caster doesn't fit, either."

"No." Rin shook her head. "If Caster were Sakura's Servant, Saber wouldn't have been alone, that day I saw her. She wouldn't have fallen for my bluff, either - Caster would have known you weren't there."

"What other options are there, though?"

"That's the problem." Rin sighed. "The only way that's even feasible is if Saber and Caster weren't working together, and even as far as the Matou have fallen - "

Rin stopped dead.

"Rin?"

Matou.

_Makiri._

"Rin, what is it?"

"I am such an idiot," Rin breathed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Archer, there _is_ another option. Sakura didn't have to be a Master before she got Saber. She just had to have Command Spells."

"I fail to see how there's a difference. Every Master chosen by the Grail summoned a Servant, so if she was not a Master, then - "

"That's just it. The Matou - the Makiri - were one of the three families that created the Holy Grail War." Rin's heart began to race even faster. "The Tohsaka provided this land, the Einzberns provided the vessel for the Grail - _and the Makiri created the Command Spells._"

"And you think they could have done it again?" Archer shook his head. "But Rin. That was five Wars ago. Surely - "

"The Matou...their patriarch is Matou Zouken. He's been alive for over two hundred years. He was the one who made the Command Spells in the first place!"

"So then - "

"Saber said this isn't her first Holy Grail War. She'd know about the three families." Rin pounded her fist into her palm. "She goes to the Matou, Zouken creates Command Spells for Sakura - it all fits!"

"Except for Rider."

Rin blinked. "What do you - "

"Saber knows who her Master is. You noticed it, didn't you?"

_'If you are here, then who is fighting - _

_'That **fool.**'_

Rin's eyes widened. "You're right. It's not Sakura, but Saber knew who it was."

Zouken? No. With as long as he'd lived, he wouldn't be so reckless - and Saber was right, activating the boundary field early like this _was_ foolish.

But who else was associated with the Matou? Not Sakura, not Zouken...

_'I cannot assist you in this fight.'_

_Cannot_ assist. Someone Sakura wouldn't let Saber fight, then. But who? There were no other mages associated with the Matou, and -

Wait.

Rin had already been mistaken in her assumption that one needed to be chosen as a Master to possess Command Spells.

What if she was also wrong about one needing to be a mage?

"Oh, _hell._"

Not a mage. Affiliated with the Matou. Someone Sakura would want to protect. Someone stupid enough to squander the boundary field like this -

_'But I wish you success in battle, all the same.'_

Someone Sakura's Servant would have cause to despise.

"Crap, crap, _crap!_"

"Rin?"

"Archer, let's go!" Rin sprinted for the stairwell. "I know who Rider's Master is!"

Rin had screwed up many times in her short life.

But this might well have been her worst one.

She could have taken Rider out of the picture before any of this happened. It had been right there; Rider's Master - that complete _idiot_ - had offered Rin his head on a silver platter.

And Rin had let him go.

* * *

So this was what it felt like.

Matou Shinji stood in his classroom, and looked down at what his classmates had become.

Girls he'd sat beside, and studied with, and lusted over, were now gross, misshapen lumps of clay. They'd been exposed for what they truly were - lesser beings, who existed to be sacrificed at the whim of their betters.

Like Shinji.

_This is what being a mage feels like._

Rider stood silently beside him, and Shinji now turned to her with a smirk. "Well? Is there a problem?"

Rider did not answer, and Shinji laughed.

It was just as Rider had said. Had he waited for it to be complete, the boundary field would have dissolved everyone in the school instantaneously. Here, it had yet to kill anyone; it would be another minute or two before even the weakest students began to die.

But it was better, this way. Had he done as Rider wanted, these fools would have been killed before they even realized what was going on. Their deaths would have been swift and painless - reduced to Rider's food before they could feel anything.

Now, though, they had time to feel. They had time to suffer. They had time to understand that they were being digested alive, and that there was nothing they could do to stop it.

And they had time to see Shinji - unharmed, unaffected - and to realize once and for all that he was better than them.

Shinji moved from classroom to classroom, looking down at people he knew - by mutual acquaintance, by reputation, by the archery club. Some were recognizable; others were not.

All had looked down upon him.

All were getting exactly what they deserved.

There was a movement in the corner of his eye as he stepped back into the hallway. He turned to look, and his eyes widened in surprise. Someone was staggering up out of the stairwell from the floor below.

"Matou...kun?"

And it was someone he knew quite well.

_I should have guessed. She's too stupid to know she's dead._

Shinji grinned widely. "Yo, Tiger."

"Don't call...me..." Fujimura Taiga swayed unsteadily, and dropped to her hands and knees.

"What's wrong? You look pale." Shinji laughed. "And you're not going to say anything about me being suspended?"

"Not...important now." Taiga paused, breathing heavily. "Matou-kun...ambulance. Please! Everyone's...call an ambulance...before it's too..."

"An ambulance?" Shinji walked over to the teacher, and smirked down at her. "Now, why would I want to go and do a thing like that?"

Taiga's breath caught in her throat. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"After all the trouble I went through to set this up..." He stepped away, and drew back his leg. "_You think I'm going to listen to a cockroach like you?_"

He lunged forward, and kicked her in the face.

Shinji's foot caught her just under the jaw. Her head snapped back, and his momentum, combined with her weakened state, flipped her over from her knees onto her back - and back onto the staircase behind her.

Gravity did the rest.

Fujimura Taiga tumbled backwards, end over end, down the stairs and out of sight.

Shinji watched her go, then burst into a fresh round of laughter.

* * *

"What..._what is this?_"

Ayako stumbled backwards, out of the cafeteria, shaking her head in impotent denial.

She'd realized, somewhat, what was happening to her. But she had not taken that knowledge to its logical conclusion.

The mass of flesh - she could no longer call them _people_ - in the room before her had neatly remedied that shortcoming.

So many people, crammed so close together. She could still see where they had been separate. Worse yet, she could _hear_ them; they had one body now, but they still had many minds, still conscious, still capable of feeling pain - and many mouths.

Hundreds of individual voices, all crying out in a chaotic cacophony of pain and horror.

Ayako forced herself to remain upright. Now, more than ever, she could not let herself fall. No matter how weak she became, that was no longer an option for her.

Because now she knew that if she did, she would end up like _that._

"Somebody...there's got to be _somebody_ still..."

The third-year classrooms on the second floor were no good. Everyone left inside had collapsed; no one was moving.

"Sakura..."

There'd been no sign of Matou in the cafeteria. Saber had gone for her, so she, at least, had to be all right - but the first-year classrooms were up on the fourth floor.

Ayako looked at the stairs to the next floor, and groaned.

"This is _not_ going to be fun."

She ascended slowly, one step at a time, and held onto the railing for all she was worth - using it as much to pull herself upward as to keep herself upright.

She concentrated for now on the next floor. That was where her year's classrooms were; she was still on her feet, so maybe there was a chance that she'd find someone -

Then she reached the landing between floors, and all such thoughts fled her mind.

"Fujimura-sensei?"

The teacher lay in a heap at the foot of the stairs.

"Sensei! Sensei, snap out of it!"

Ayako forgot all about staying on her feet. She dropped to her knees, grabbed her teacher by the shoulders, and rolled her over onto her back.

"Sensei! Sen - "

Fujimura Taiga's head flopped limply to the side, coming to rest at an unnatural angle. Her eyes stared blankly ahead.

She no longer saw anything.

"No..."

It was not as if Ayako did not know what was happening. She'd seen the cafeteria; she'd seen the classrooms; she could feel what was being done to her.

But something as mundane as a broken neck - that was _real._ Seeing the corpse of her club's faculty supervisor made her truly understand.

Mitsuzuri Ayako - and everyone else in this school - was going to die.

"_NO!_"

With a sudden burst of energy, Ayako tried to push herself away from the body, up to her feet. But she was too weak; rather than push herself vertically, she pushed herself horizontally - back to the stairs she'd just climbed.

Ayako tumbled back to the second floor with a loud cry.

She didn't even try to get back up this time. What was the point? Her strength was fading, and the strongest teacher she knew was dead.

So she lay where she was, face down at the foot of the stairs, and began to cry in frustration.

"Oh, so _this_ is where you were."

The voice froze Ayako mid-sob.

_It can't be...what is _ he_ doing - _

She looked up with an effort, and confirmed that her ears were not deceiving her.

Matou Shinji stood on the steps above her, customary smirk firmly in place. His immaculately-pressed uniform looked even more out of place here, and he held a small book open in one hand.

_How - how can he be - _

Her eyes moved almost unconsciously to the figure behind him...and her blood turned to ice.

Ayako had never seen the woman before. She was sure she'd have remembered if she had; the woman was striking in every respect, from her flowing hair to her outlandish garb to her perfect figure.

Ayako had never seen the woman before...but she understood her immediately.

_She's not human._

Ayako couldn't stand. But she still had to get away. So she rolled onto her back, pushed herself up to a seated position, and tried to scoot away.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Shinji descended the steps, and Ayako sped up her movements. She tried to twist around, and use her momentum to get her feet back under her - but her arms gave out, and she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

She heard his steps, and felt him roughly grab her and turn her onto her back.

Shinji crouched by her side, and grinned. "What's wrong, Captain? You look like you're not happy to see me."

He laughed, and it was about that time that Ayako realized something she should have seen right away.

_He's all right._

Whatever this was...it wasn't affecting him.

"Matou...what did you...?"

"Huh? What kind of a stupid question is that?" Shinji gestured around him. "Isn't it obvious what I did?"

He laughed again, and Ayako stared up at him in horror.

"Shinji."

His laughter cut off. He looked over at the woman, and his eyes narrowed.

"This girl is stronger than the others. She has not yet succumbed completely." The woman had a quiet voice, but for some reason every word that came out of her mouth was making Ayako flinch. "Her life can still be saved, if you - "

"_Saved?_" Shinji exploded to his feet, and struck the woman in the face.

Her head turned with the blow, then she turned back to face him once more.

Shinji cursed and stepped in close, glaring up at her. "You worthless Servant! If you'd done what I told you to do, she'd already be dead!"

Ayako's breath froze in her throat.

_What - _

"Save her?" Shinji ranted. "_Her?_ After everything she's done to me? Why would you think for even _one second_ that I'd want to save her?"

The woman turned slightly, and looked down at Ayako. Even through the mask covering her eyes, Ayako could almost sense a wave of compassion coming from her.

And that terrified her all the more.

"I understand." The woman stepped forward. "In that case, rather than allow her to melt in the boundary field, I shall quench my thirst directly - "

"_You'll do nothing of the sort!_" Shinji grabbed the woman's hair and jerked back, stopping her in her tracks. The woman remained on her feet, and when Shinji released her, she straightened and turned to look at him.

Shinji's face was mottled with rage. "This bitch humiliated me in front of everyone," he spat. "She doesn't get to take the easy way out! She's going to suffer, and melt, and die!"

He turned back to Ayako with a twisted grin. "But before that..."

She didn't understand at first. Shinji reached down to her, and in spite of everything he'd just said, she thought he was going to help her up. But he didn't grab her hand; he grabbed her vest instead, and ripped it open, sending buttons flying everywhere.

And then, Ayako understood.

"This body's going to be gone soon - but it's still good now." Shinji leered down at her. "It would be a shame to waste it, don't you think?"

Ayako grabbed weakly at his wrists, trying to hold him back. But she had no strength left. Her panicked flailing could do nothing, and he reached unhindered for her blouse.

Ayako could no longer do anything. She needed for someone to save her, but she knew better - she'd seen the rest of the school; there was no one left.

She could only turn her head away, clench her eyes shut, and wait -

**"SHINJI!"**

And then, salvation came.

There was a sudden burst of noise above her. She heard shouting, and the clash of metal, and what sounded like gunshots.

Shinji's presence disappeared, and Ayako was suddenly embraced by a different pair of arms. They were strong, but gentle, and warm to the touch, and even in her overheated state they were _comfortable._

Mitsuzuri Ayako opened her eyes, and stared up at her rescuer.

"Tohsaka?"

* * *

Rin spared a glance down at Ayako, and grimaced.

"Tohsaka...what's - "

Rin laid a finger over Ayako's lips. "Save your strength. If we manage to get out of here, you'll need it."

She walked over and set Ayako down, sitting upright against the wall. Then she straightened, and turned back to the standoff.

Archer and Rider stood as they had been. Each had their weapons out, and they watched one another warily. And behind Rider -

"Yo, Tohsaka. Funny meeting you here."

- Matou Shinji laughed, and threw out a ridiculous greeting.

"Matou-kun. You...you..."

"What's wrong, Tohsaka?" Shinji cackled. "You're so happy to see me, you've been struck speechless?"

"You _idiot!_" Rin almost wished the Servants weren't here - that way, she could beat him up herself. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm winning, of course!" Shinji smirked. "I bet you regret not joining me, now."

"The only thing I regret is not pitching you off the roof when I had the chance." Rin glared at him. "What are you playing at? What could you possibly have to gain from this?"

"What, has the boundary field taken your hearing already?" Shinji gave her a smug look. "I'm feeding my Servant, and when she's full - "

"Your Servant. Right."

"Exactly! My Servant!" Shinji's face flushed. "What is it? You still don't see me as an equal?"

"Matou-kun, I have _never_ seen you as my equal." She should have seen it far earlier than she had. Shinji wasn't a mage; if he had a Servant, he'd _have_ to resort to something like this to support her. "And if you expected this to change my mind..."

"And why shouldn't it?" Shinji drew himself up. "I'm a Master, just like you! I'm acting as a proper mage, and when I get the Holy Grail - "

"A proper mage?" Rin spluttered. "A _proper mage?_ Matou-kun, I knew that magic had died out in your generation - but I didn't realize that intelligence had gone with it!"

She gestured wildly. "Where, in all this, do you see a proper mage? Even you should know that the rule of magic is secrecy! No outsiders! But here you are, taking an entire school, and - "

"The rule is no _witnesses._"

The words hit Rin like a punch to the gut.

"I know the rules, Tohsaka. If there's a witness, you eliminate them. No one who's exposed to the world of magic can be allowed to live."

Shinji spread his arms. "So what's wrong with this? I'm killing everyone in this school, so what does it matter what they see before they die?" He smirked. "You should thank me, Tohsaka. You're this city's supervisor - I'm doing your job for you!"

A soft gasp off to the side drew Rin's attention.

"Tohsaka...what's he talking about?" Ayako was staring at her, face pale. "Witnesses? Supervisor? He can't mean that you'd..."

Rin couldn't keep herself from flinching.

"What's wrong, Tohsaka?" Shinji laughed. "There's a witness sitting right there. Why haven't you killed her yet?"

"Shut up."

Shinji cackled. "Oh, this is great! The mighty Tohsaka, supervisor of Fuyuki, and _I'm_ a better mage than she is! Maybe I should go to the Clock Tower and - "

"I said - SHUT UP!"

Twisted as it was, Shinji spoke the truth. It didn't matter that he had exposed himself to them deliberately; the laws of the mages made no distinction when it came to the fate of witnesses. Rin had to kill Ayako (that, or have Kotomine do it) - Ayako, and any others Shinji had revealed magic to.

But she didn't want to.

She'd gone out of her way not to do it for so long. She'd forged the image of the aloof, perfect honor student; she rejected all confessions, and went out of her way to keep herself apart from her classmates.

All so that she wouldn't have to make this choice to kill them.

Rin could feel Ayako's eyes on her.

Why did she only realize these things at the worst possible times?

Rin closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Matou-kun - no, Shinji." The time for politeness was past. "Take down this boundary field."

"And if I refuse?"

Rin's eyes hardened. "Archer."

Her Servant shot forward, swords drawn - only to be met halfway by Rider in a shower of sparks as blade met spike.

The exchange took barely a second; both Servants had pulled back to their original positions before Shinji even realized that they'd moved in the first place.

His eyes went wide. "Tohsaka, you - "

"You're right about one thing. I'm the supervisor of Fuyuki, and I'll deal with this situation as I see fit." She smiled thinly. "But Shinji? I follow the laws, as well. And the first rule of magic is - "

Rin raised her left arm, Magic Crest charged, as Archer and Rider leaped forward once more.

"_To be a mage is to walk with death._"

* * *

Those were the last words to be spoken for some time.

The Servants fought in silence; neither had any use in this battle for taunts or invocations. Deceit and strategy were carried out with actions, and neither had anything to say to the other.

The Masters were silent, as well. Both were capable of attacking from a distance, but neither did so, for a very simple reason:

Both knew that the moment they attacked, they died.

It was Rider who had managed to create this situation. She was weaker than Archer; in straight-up combat, she was at a disadvantage, and it should have been impossible for her to fight the Servant and protect Matou Shinji at the same time - especially in a closed area like the hallway, where her opportunities to utilize her speed and mobility were limited.

Rider's solution to this dilemma was to sidestep these limitations.

She didn't protect Matou at all.

Instead, Rider attacked Tohsaka Rin.

The Servant raced along the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, attacking from every imaginable direction - and while Rider was going one way, her weaponry was going another, ricocheting off multiple angles in an effort to reach Archer's Master.

The clash of swords, the ringing of the spikes, and the rattling of Rider's chains: these were the music that echoed through the halls, as Rider sought to take Tohsaka's life.

At every step, though, she was thwarted.

Always, Archer was there. He saw through her attacks, foresaw where she would strike, read the angles of her chains, and defended his Master without fail.

But as long as Archer defended, he could not attack.

Rider was not defending her Master at all. If Archer could manage even one attack, Matou would fall, and the battle would be over - but the opening for that one attack never came. Rider's assault was unrelenting; she did not let up for even a second, for she must have known from the beginning that she would not be permitted to falter.

It was a battle of endurance, with no possibility of withdrawal for either side. Rider's attacks, versus Archer's defense - whoever slipped first, the life of that Servant's Master would be forfeit.

But neither would slip anytime soon. For all intents and purposes, it was a stalemate.

And yet - one look at the face of Archer's Master told the tale.

For her, victory in this fight was not simply a matter of triumph or defeat. She fought, not only for her own life, but also for the lives of all those in the school, caught in the boundary field.

Time was on Rider's side. Indeed, this must have been a key reason for her to choose an all-out offensive - with the boundary field active, she was constantly feeding on the students of the school, and replenishing her reserves. What the field lacked in quality, it made up for in quantity; indeed, in these circumstances, her advantage would actually last longer because of it.

There was no danger of Rider running out of energy anytime soon.

The best chance to defeat Rider would come when she had finally run out of energy, provided that the drain on Tohsaka and Archer had not been too severe by that point. At that time, they could almost certainly overpower the enemy Servant.

But that would not happen until every other person in the school was dead.

And for Tohsaka, that was as good as a loss.

Hence the frustrated rage written so clearly on her features. She was too well-trained to try and add her own spells to the battle; doing so would only upset Archer's careful defense, and lead to their demise.

And yet, as matters stood, the result would be no different.

It was a galling conclusion for her to have to reach, but that made it no less legitimate.

His Servant was outclassed. His magical abilities were negligible. His combat sense was non-existent. And none of that mattered, for the outcome would not change.

Yes - Matou Shinji was winning.

If Tohsaka Rin had been his only enemy, he might even have won.

* * *

"**Ἄτλας!**"

The word was the first indication he had of her presence. Shinji didn't realize what was happening right away; he saw Archer and Rider break apart, and both turned to face him.

"Rider, what are you - "

Only then, as he tried to raise his arm, did Shinji understand.

He couldn't move.

"What - _what is this?_"

There was a low, throaty laugh behind him, and Shinji felt his blood turn to ice. He couldn't turn, and couldn't see what was behind him. But he understood that the woman's laugh meant that death was near.

"Rider!"

The Servant was in motion even before he called for her. She leaped toward him, spikes extended -

"**Ἄργος!**"

- only to collide with a glass-like barrier, and fall back.

"Rider, what - "

Rider rose almost immediately, and launched herself at the barrier once more. But the results were the same; her spikes collided with the shield, and were repelled in a shower of sparks. Rider could not penetrate the barrier.

Shinji was trapped.

* * *

"_No!_"

Saber tightened her grip as Sakura's eyes shot open. The girl began to lose her balance, even on her knees, and only Saber's support kept her from falling over.

"Sakura, what is it? Did you find Ayako?"

"Yes, but - but Nii-san - !"

"Sakura, what - "

But Sakura had closed her eyes once more, and did not answer.

* * *

Rin's feet were rooted to the spot. She could only stare, with mounting disbelief, at the tableau that stretched out before her.

At the other end of the hall stood what had to be the Servant Caster. Next to the Servant stood a man who had to be her Master, and how the hell had _that_ happened? Shinji might not have been a mage, but he at least had his family's books to fall back on; this one, on the other hand -

Rin shook her head. Now was _not_ the time.

Just in front of that pair was Shinji. He stood with an open book in one hand, and his arms outstretched; his body was frozen, and his face twisted in panic.

In front of Shinji, what seemed almost like a glass wall split the hallway in two, separating the three on one side from the four on the other.

"Rider!"

And on Rin's side of the wall, Rider threw herself headlong at the barrier, again and again and again.

"Rider, what are you doing? _Rider!_"

Shinji's voice had taken on a tinge of hysteria. As if in response, Rider redoubled her efforts, completely ignoring her erstwhile opponents.

Rin glanced over. "Archer..."

Her Servant only shook his head in response.

Rin understood. Archer couldn't take out Rider without exposing them to Caster and her impossible Master - and he wasn't confident that he could take them all out in one shot, especially with Rider in the way of the barrier.

Rin looked at Caster again, and frowned. "Why isn't she doing anything?"

Caster seemed content to maintain the barrier and watch. Indeed, her smile beneath her hood - the only part of her face Rin could see - seemed to stretch further with each foiled attack from the other Servant.

Shinji's eyes widened as Rider failed yet again, and slumped to the floor.

Even with her constant recharging from the students, Rider's strength was beginning to wane.

"Rider! Rider, get up!"

Caster laughed softly behind him, and Shinji shrieked in terror.

"Rider! **Break through this barrier!**"

The Servant obediently rose to try again.

And as she did, Rin's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

"What - "

The sudden blast of wind caught Saber off-guard. It was magical in nature, and thus completely ineffective against her; but even so, Saber flinched for a moment before she straightened - and her eyes went wide.

"Sakura!"

Her Master was glowing.

* * *

A massive wind had kicked up in the hallway. Rin held an arm before her, shielding her face while her hair whipped around her, and did her best to focus on what was happening in front of her.

Rider had begun to glow.

The Servant was surrounded by an outline of blue light, so pale it was almost white. The light grew in intensity as Rin watched, forcing her to focus her attention beyond Rider, to the others.

And Shinji cried out in pain.

"What - "

The book in his right hand had burst into flames.

Shinji could not move, and the book was fixed in place just as surely as he was. He could not drop the tome; he could do nothing but shriek in pain as his hand was scorched by the fire.

"What in the - "

Rider leaped for the barrier once more, weapon extended - and this time, she was not repelled. The spike in her hands glowed as it pressed against the barrier, but it went no further.

Rider had not been repelled...but she was not breaking through, either.

"_Rider!_"

The aura around Rider shrank - no, it hadn't shrunk, it had been _redirected._ All the light that had surrounded the Servant's body was shunted to the spike now pressing against the magical glass.

The weapon glowed like a miniature sun, so intense that even with Rider's body partially blocking Rin's view, it was painful to look at. It was beginning to press forward...but slowly, oh so slowly.

The spike grew brighter yet; its light shone throughout the hallway, dyeing the red air of the boundary field a pale lavender. It pressed forward a little further...then a little further...

Rider growled - a low, guttural sound from the base of her throat that bypassed Rin's ears and went straight to her spine - and pressed harder.

Rin's blinked. Was she seeing things, or was Rider's skin turning gray?

No, it wasn't her imagination. Her skin had turned gray - no, that wasn't right. It wasn't that her skin had turned gray; it was that her skin had been _replaced_ - replaced by scales. Dark, metallic scales, covering every inch of Rider's exposed flesh. The muscles in her arms rippled and grew as Rin watched, and the Servant's lips drew back in a snarl, revealing sharp, inhuman fangs.

"What - "

And then, the spike of light broke through, and the barrier shattered into ten thousand shards of energy.

* * *

The light around Sakura guttered, then died.

Saber grabbed her Master by the shoulders and shook her lightly.

"Sakura? Sakura, speak to me!"

"...Saber...?"

Sakura slowly opened her eyes, and looked up at her Servant. She shuddered, and smiled.

Then her eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell over in Saber's arms.

"_Sakura!_"

* * *

He'd done it.

_He'd done it!_

His Servant had broken through the barrier!

Shinji laughed. In spite of the pain in his hand, in spite of the spots in his eyes, in spite of his inability to move, Shinji laughed in pure elation.

He'd won! Rider had broken through the enemy's defenses, and now -

"**Αἐρο!**"

The blast caught Rider point-blank in her midsection. It shredded her clothing and the flesh beneath, and sent her sprawling back.

"**Ἄργος!**"

With a shimmer of light, the barrier reformed.

"What - "

Rider pushed herself up to her hands and knees. Blood dripped down from her torso as everyone watched, forming a deep crimson pool beneath her.

Her transformation had reverted. Scales had been replaced with skin once more, and with the scales had gone her unexpected surge in power. Her arms quivered as she struggled to rise - and then her strength gave out, and the Servant collapsed in a heap.

The corridor descended into silence.

"Rider...?"

Rider did not move, and in that moment, Shinji realized that his Servant had been beaten.

No, not beaten - it was never a contest to begin with.

The woman behind him had been playing with Rider the entire time, and -

"_You worthless bitch!_"

Shinji's voice echoed through the hallway, breaking the silence. He barely noticed, though; his eyes were fixed balefully on the Servant lying before him.

"This is all you can do? Get up! Stand up and fight, you piece of shit!"

Rider twitched, and sparks flickered from her wound. But that was the limit of what she could do; she was unable to move any further.

"What - did you lose? _Again?_ You weakling! Pathetic!" Shinji barely knew what he was saying; he gave in freely to his anger, and let his rage direct his tongue. "You trash! Lose, lose, lose - you couldn't beat even one Servant in this entire War!"

Rider did not move.

"Look at you! Just lying there, like it actually hurts. _You aren't even alive!_ Wounds shouldn't matter to a Servant! But no, not you! Not Rider! Not the sorry excuse for a dog _I_ got saddled with!"

Spittle flew from Shinji's mouth as he shouted. "Heroic Spirits? Figures of legend? No, I get a simpering little coward who runs at the sight of a paper cut!

"Why you?" he ranted. "Why, of all the possible Servants, did I get stuck with _you?_ The only thing you're any use for is as a woman - and you're not even that good at that!"

Rider remained motionless, and Shinji barked a laugh.

"Yeah, that's right - just lie there! Lie there, you disgrace! I'd have been better off fighting myself than relying on you!"

Shinji's lips curled into a sneer.

"Just lie there and _die,_ you - "

Soft, feminine laughter bubbled up behind him, and Shinji cut off with a squeak as the situation suddenly came rushing back to him.

_What was I - what am I_ doing?

"Well, now," the woman behind him said. "You've said quite a bit, haven't you, boy?"

The woman - the _mage_ - had been in control the entire time. She had blown away his Servant with a single word.

And far too late, Shinji finally realized.

"Caster," he breathed in a hoarse voice.

Caster.

The class reserved for the greatest of mages - those who had carved their legends into the heavens with the powers they wielded.

Standing behind him was the embodiment of everything he had idolized and dreamed of since the day he discovered his family's legacy.

His ideal.

Everything he had wanted. Wanted for himself, then wanted from Sakura -

"Yes, that's right." The Servant laughed again. "You've played your part quite well, boy. You drew out two Servants, and afforded me a great deal of entertainment with this farce...but I'm afraid that's come to an end."

_This_ was what he had wanted?

"No. No, wait! I - "

"Your book is gone, now." Caster's voice dipped, and the sheer menace wrenched an unwilling whimper out of him.

"_And I have no further use for you._"

"Wait! Please, wait, I can - "

"You made three mistakes, Matou."

Shinji's breath caught in his throat. The voice that had just spoken was _not_ Caster's.

"_You?_ But how - "

"You activated the boundary field too soon. Had it been stronger, fewer people would have been able to move, and your Servant could have fed more rapidly."

That was what Rider had told him.

"No. No! You can't - "

"You should not have sought out combat. It was to your advantage to hide, and let the boundary field exhaust your enemies as they attempted to find you."

Shinji's heart was pounding madly in his chest. His entire body was shaking; only the spell that kept him motionless allowed him to stay on his feet. In his terror, he barely even noticed the tears streaming freely down his cheeks.

"Stop! Please - "

"And killing Fujimura-sensei in that fashion was unnecessary."

"Wait. Please, wait!" Shinji blubbered. "Stop! You can't! You have to - somebody! Anybody! Please!

"_**RIDER - !**_"

Kuzuki Souichirou's fist, Reinforced by Caster's magic, shot forward.

And Matou Shinji's head burst in a cloud of blood.

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	12. Feb 6: Walpurgis

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g, _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

My site, the Codex Scribanus, is still without a home as of this writing (and I still welcome any suggestions my readers might have along those lines).

If/when I find a new host, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, as well as my LiveJournal, where you will also find updates on the next chapter's progress (see author profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

I am, as always, deeply indebted to my prereaders, Shack, Elf, and Kami. In addition, special thanks go to reviewer jodan no ken for her assistance in fixing my Greek.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

And so, he watched.

He remained hidden from all. Neither Master nor Servant had detected his presence. This was hardly surprising, of course; the style of magic he had created lent itself to concealment, and he himself, drawing on the experience of four Holy Grail Wars prior, had taken additional measures to ensure that he remained hidden. If his efforts were not at the level of Assassin's Presence Concealment, they were not far off, either - even in the best of circumstances, none would so much as suspect that he was there unless he chose to reveal that fact.

And for those whom he observed, these were far from the best of circumstances.

Time had not stopped on the second floor of Homurabara Academy. No further paralysis magic had been cast; there was no external force keeping the actors in their places.

It just seemed that way.

The Servant Rider lay motionless in the hallway, a few steps ahead of Archer. Behind the Servants, Tohsaka Rin and the archery club captain were frozen in shock.

All were looking at the same thing:

Matou Shinji's headless corpse, still standing erect.

The body was held in place by Caster's spell. It would not be immediately apparent why that spell was still being maintained, unless one followed Caster's gaze to Archer. Then, everything would become clear.

Caster was not blindly placing her faith in the barrier she had conjured (and then reconjured) against Rider. Shinji's body was being used as an additional shield of meat.

In death, Shinji was proving more useful to Caster than he had ever been to his grandfather in life.

_Worthless failure._

The entire sequence was hardly a surprise to Matou Zouken. The patriarch had never expected victory from Shinji. He had _hoped_ that the boy would at least show the pride to challenge the other Masters in spite of his powerlessness...but he had fully anticipated Shinji falling short of even that bare minimum.

And fall short, Shinji had.

Stripped of Zouken's guidance, the fool had squandered his Servant on petty vendettas, and thrown away every advantage Rider had gained for him. It was probably for the best that Caster had killed him; had she not, Zouken would have been sorely tempted to do the job himself.

And he could not afford to waste his remaining worms in such a fashion.

The golden Servant had been most thorough. Zouken's body - along with every worm he had stored in the basement - had been wiped out without a trace.

None of these were serious losses, of course. Zouken had no particular need for a body at the present; his true self was hidden away in the most secure location imaginable, and the worms that had been destroyed were slated for replacement anyway.

But by the same token, the Servant had known all this. Zouken's survival seemed to amuse him; the look with which he'd favored the grounds of the massacre had been almost approving.

Nonetheless, the message had been clear: He would not be permitted to interfere in this Holy Grail War.

It was unfortunate, but Zouken would be restricted to observation, after all.

Still, all was not lost. Rider yet lived, and Saber could no longer hide herself; with Shinji dead, Sakura would be forced to participate as a Master - and that would place her in close proximity to battles between the Servants.

Battles between the Servants...and casualties among them.

It was a long shot. Without Zouken's assistance, Sakura was unlikely to succeed in stealing from the proper vessel.

But still, it was a chance.

All that was needed was one Servant. Just one Servant, and the experiment could proceed. In a best-case scenario, it might even yield something Zouken could make use of in this War, rather than waiting for the next.

If not, though, it would be no great loss.

Matou Sakura was not going to live much longer, regardless.

* * *

_**THE WORLD WITHOUT**_

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER XII**

**2/6: WALPURGIS**

The situation was bad.

Rider was caught between two Servants, both of whom were capable of ranged attacks. She was exposed, with no way to conceal herself, and had been wounded by Caster's assault - a concentrated blast of air, honed to a cutting edge, that had sliced open her gut.

The wound was healing at an accelerated pace, though. Rider would be able to move again in under a minute.

And that was the worst sign of all.

_"Rider? Are you there?"_

If she had been capable of closing her eyes, Rider would have blinked behind her blindfold.

_"Saber?"_

She felt a surge of relief that was not her own. _"Thank goodness. I was not sure that this would work. I am not well-versed in such connections, and - "_

_"Saber."_

The mental stream of babble cut off, and Rider got the sense of a blush. _"Right. What is the situation where you are?"_

_"What do you mean?"_ Why was Saber even talking to her? _"Sakura is watching this, is she not?"_

_"Sakura is unconscious."_

Rider froze. _"What?"_

_"She passed out a moment ago. I think she was trying to do something to help Shinji, but..."_

And that confirmed it.

The worst-case scenario had come to pass.

_First things first._

_"Shinji is dead."_

She felt Saber recoil. _"_Dead? _But how - "_

_"Caster."_

_"CASTER?"_

_"She and her Master ambushed my battle with Archer. Shinji did not survive, and I have been wounded."_

Saber's curses carried clearly over the link without her intending them to. She was just as unskilled at this as she had suggested.

_"All right,"_ she said at last. _"We need to regroup. Take down the boundary field, and - "_

_"That would be inadvisable, Saber."_

_"What?"_

_"It would be better for me to leave the field active for as long as possible."_

_"Leave the - Rider, you said yourself that it would be foolish to activate the field early like this!"_

_"So I did."_ Rider checked her wound. It would need another thirty seconds or so. _"But what is done is done. If I shut the field down, I will not be able to erect it here again. There are still two other Servants here, and - "_

_"All the more reason to retreat! I have been revealed as Sakura's Servant; we need to get as far away from here as possible. And the students - "_

Rider bristled. _"Do not speak to me of the students."_

_"Not even Ayako?"_

That gave Rider pause.

She was surprised Saber had even noticed that, let alone thought to bring it up with her. It was almost as surprising, now that she considered it, as the fact that Saber had presumed to give her orders - and she hadn't even thought to question how natural it felt, until now.

_A king, indeed._

Still, she only hesitated for a few seconds.

_"She has held up well thus far. She can endure a while longer."_

And Saber exploded.

_"DAMN IT, RIDER! Either you take down this boundary field, or I'll take it down myself!"_

_"Do not be ridiculous, Saber. You would have to use your Noble Phantasm to even have a chance, and - "_

_"I'll take that chance."_

Rider froze again.

_"You...you cannot be serious."_ Sakura was unconscious, and Saber wanted to use her _Noble Phantasm?_ _"You would not be so foolish as to - "_

And then, Rider remembered.

This was Saber.

_Of course_ she would be that foolish.

_"Very well."_

_"...Rider?"_

_"I will deactivate the field. On your own head be the consequences."_

Relief. _"Thank you, Rider. We should rendezvous at - "_

_"I will find you."_

Rider forcibly cut the link, and focused inward.

Bloodfort Andromeda. A defensive boundary field placed over the Shapeless Isle, where the Gorgon Medusa had dwelled.

The field was linked to the Gorgon; it acted, in effect, as a second stomach. Everything within was her food, digested and redirected to her without ceasing.

Deactivating the field was a matter of a simple thought - but it was far from pleasant. The field was linked to Rider like another organ, and severing that link felt like severing an organ.

She was not losing anything she had not had, originally. Nonetheless, Rider was maiming herself.

But for Rider, that was hardly out of the ordinary; she would not allow it to stop her.

She lifted the Bloodfort, and endured the sense of disembowelment with barely a shudder.

All that remained now was for her to escape.

Caster, Archer, and their respective Masters still hadn't moved. But with the Bloodfort's withdrawal, their attention had been drawn back to Rider.

She needed a plan, and fast. But -

Rider went still.

She had sensed the presence of another Servant.

"Rin, get back!"

It appeared a plan would not be required, after all.

Archer and Caster both turned, guarding their Masters, as the presence drew near.

She knew this presence. The Servant was closing in at an incredible rate. This was -

"FINALLY!"

He crashed through the window, and landed in the hall amidst a shower of glass. The Servant stood tall, blood-red spear in hand, facing Caster and her Master.

The Servant Lancer had arrived.

_Perfect._

Rider dematerialized, and slipped out the window Lancer had just opened.

As expected, no one pursued her.

Rider fled the school grounds at top speed.

* * *

"Consequences?"

Saber blinked.

She did not understand Rider. She had begun to doubt that she ever would.

Now was not the time for that, though.

She checked Sakura again while she waited for the boundary field to come down. Sakura was still unconscious; her face twisted, and she shifted uneasily in Saber's arms.

"What did you do, Master?"

It had to have been something with Rider. But what? It was almost as if -

The boundary field disappeared.

It was like a Servant making their entrance or exit, and at the same time it was entirely different. Rather than a metallic shimmer, the entire school seemed to vibrate and bubble for a moment, as the menacing presence of the field dissipated. The red tint that covered the air receded into the spokes of blood, which rolled up in turn to a point in the sky before vanishing entirely.

In the space of a few seconds, peace had returned to the grounds of the school.

Sakura moaned softly, as if in pain.

"Sakura?"

Before she could look more closely, though, Saber's head snapped up.

A Servant was approaching at an unbelievable rate. He was coming from the east, and at this speed -

There was only one Servant this fast.

"Lancer!"

_This is bad._

Saber gathered Sakura in her arms and bounded out of the school, through the woods, and up the mountain behind it.

Her mind raced. Combat was not an option, not with Sakura in the state she was in. They had to get further away - Archer and Rin knew them, Lancer was an expert tracker, and if Caster really was in the school as Rider had said, it was too much to hope that she had not detected them, as well.

Where, though?

She would have liked to return to Shirou's home, but that was too great a risk at the moment. They couldn't hide there; Rin knew who they were, and would almost certainly figure out their location.

The Matou home was only marginally better, if that - it would be almost as predictable, and its improved defenses would be more than offset by its close proximity to the home of Archer's Master.

And even if its advantages had been greater, there was no way Saber wanted Sakura anywhere near her grandfather, if it could be avoided.

Saber glanced up at the sun, and frowned. It was early afternoon. They were too conspicuous; Saber in her armor and Sakura in her unconscious state would stand out in the minds of everyone who saw them.

There was no choice, then. She would have to stick to the outskirts of the city as much as possible, and the rooftops when the more populated areas could not be avoided, until she could find a place where Sakura could rest in hiding.

She could only hope to find it soon.

* * *

Lancer stood, Gae Bolg at the ready.

He could hear Archer's Master behind him, helping the other girl to her feet, then swiftly receding footsteps as they fled with Archer, just as Rider had before them.

Lancer paid them no mind. It wasn't like he could have done anything to them - thanks to his Master's thrice-bedamned Command Spell - and he was willing to bet money that if they cooperated, the little lady would kick up a tantrum to end all tantrums when he let their enemy go.

No, his attention was focused squarely on the only remaining obstacle between Lancer, and actually fighting in the Holy Grail War: the Servant Caster, and her Master.

Or rather - Caster, her Master, and a corpse.

The headless body stood upright before him, arms outstretched. Even without a head, it looked familiar - and a moment later, Lancer recognized it.

_"Damn it!"_

No wonder Rider had bailed.

He looked at Caster's Master - fist covered in blood - and cursed anew. "_I_ wanted to be the one to kill that punk!"

"My." Caster smiled. "We're so sorry, Lancer. Whatever could we do to earn your forgiveness?"

Lancer glared. He was already in a bad mood from the long search; the stolen kill was an unpleasant surprise, and now this arrogant bitch was taunting him like the brat who had summoned Berserker.

"So, where exactly have you been holed up?"

Caster smiled again. "Come now, Lancer. You know the game doesn't work that way."

"Fuck the game," Lancer growled. "Do you have any idea how long my boring-ass Master has had me looking for you? I have half a mind to - "

And then, the punk's body exploded.

It happened in a heartbeat. The barrier in front of the body vanished, then reappeared behind it in a barely visible shimmer; even as it did, the corpse disappeared in a wave of white-hot fire that rushed across the hallway towards Lancer.

_When did she have the time to do that?_

Lancer jumped back, away from the flames - and slammed into a _second_ barrier that had been erected behind him.

"_Motherf - _"

It was a neat little trap. Use Caster's barriers to close off a space - and then fill the entire space with fire.

There was no time to think. Even as the flames broke upon him, Lancer drew the runes in the air, hands moving with the ease of long practice.

_Algiz_ - rune of warding and protection.

_Isa_ - rune of ice and reinforcement.

_Laguz_ reversed - rune of water and avoidance.

The flames crashed against the shield he had conjured, and spent themselves in steam and smoke. Lancer ignored the wave, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his adversary.

Said adversary smiled once more. "Impressive."

"You're a sorry cheat, you know that?"

"Why Lancer, whatever are you saying?" Caster laughed in a low, throaty voice. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't like me."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Lancer knew what Caster was doing. The mental games, the taunting - they were time-honored tactics, ones that he himself often employed with great success.

It didn't make it any less aggravating when they were used against him, though. And by _Caster_ - the one Servant class that shouldn't have known to use them - !

_"Kotomine, can I go home now?"_

No response. Not like he'd been expecting one.

"What _possible_ reason would I have not to like you?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

In the next instant, the space between the barriers was filled with bone golems.

Lancer gave Caster a flat look.

Caster's smile widened.

"Play nice, now."

* * *

People were predictable.

In Rin's experience - and Archer's, from what she could tell - they were interested primarily in themselves.

They focused on their own lives - their own problems - and went about their own business with a single-minded intensity that was almost frightening. They rarely, if ever, paid attention to things that did not directly affect them.

For example: They almost never looked up.

So even in broad daylight, by sticking to the rooftops, Archer could carry Rin (carrying Ayako) from the school to the Tohsaka mansion in a matter of minutes, without being spotted.

It wasn't like they had a choice in the matter. Ayako had passed out again before they even made it out of the main building; carrying her in the streets would have been too conspicuous, and Rin couldn't leave her there with Lancer and Caster.

Still - as Rin laid Ayako on her bed, she couldn't help but wish that things were easier.

"Archer."

Her Servant nodded. "Understood."

He dematerialized, and departed.

Ayako moaned, and Rin turned back to her friend as she began to wake.

"Where...?"

"Welcome back, Mitsuzuri-san."

"Huh? Tohsaka...?" Her eyes widened. "Tohsaka - !"

She tried to sit up, but Rin caught her by the shoulders and pushed her back down.

"Easy. You're safe, now. Just lie back and relax."

"Relax?" Ayako gave her an incredulous look. "Tohsaka, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not much for relaxing, and - where am I, anyway?"

"My house. You'll be safe, here."

"...Will I?"

The words hung in the air between them. Rin couldn't think of how to respond. The silence stretched; Ayako's eyes grew wary, and all Rin could do was silently curse Shinji again.

Finally, Ayako spoke. "What the hell is going on, Tohsaka? The school, and Shinji, and you, and supervisors, and witnesses, and - _what's going on?_"

"...I don't suppose there's any way you'd agree to forget about all this?"

Ayako gave her a flat look, and Rin sighed. "Didn't think so. Well, Mitsuzuri-san - do you believe in magic?"

"Magic, huh? If you'd asked me this morning..." Ayako grimaced. "I really don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Magic...so you're a sorceress, or something?"

"A mage," Rin said without thinking, "not a sorceress."

Ayako laughed weakly. "There's a difference?"

"That's putting it mildly." Rin sighed again. "But that's not what you want to know, is it?"

"Yeah." Ayako sobered. "Tohsaka, what Shinji said - about no witnesses - "

"He wasn't wrong." Rin flinched at the look Ayako was giving her, but went on. "Magic...it doesn't belong in the modern world. Neither do we, really. We keep to ourselves for the most part, and the one thing we're all agreed on is the importance of secrecy. Outsiders aren't to learn of us, under any circumstances."

Rin sighed again. "Now that you know...it doesn't really matter how you found out. It's enough that you _do._"

"So...what? I'm screwed?" Ayako's voice grew louder as she continued. "Shinji sets out to kill me, and just because he tried, I have to die anyway? Tohsaka, that's - "

"Like hell you do," Rin snapped. "There's no way I'm letting Shinji get what he wanted from this. That inbred, half-witted, self-absorbed, incompetent interloper walked all over _my_ territory, screwed with _my_ friend, and - " She cut off, seeing the look on Ayako's face, and turned red. "Um. That is..."

"Something you want to share, Tohsaka?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Right, right." Ayako grinned. "Where were we?"

"We were talking about me sparing your life."

Ayako sobered at that.

"We have some leeway, here." Rin began to pace the length of the bed. "The Tohsaka family is traditionally entrusted with this area. I'm still a bit young, but nominally, at least, I'm the supervisor of Fuyuki. I don't answer to anyone" - other than Kirei, perhaps, but there was no way Rin was getting into _that_ right now - "so as long as I do _something_ with you, no one should complain. But - "

And then, it hit her.

"Tohsaka?"

"Yes..._yes..._"

"Um, Tohsaka?"

Rin ran the solution through her head again. "Yes - that just might work."

"Okay, Tohsaka, I don't know what you're thinking, but that smile is seriously freaking me out, and - "

"Mitsuzuri-san. Have you had any luck with our bet?"

"Our bet?" Ayako blinked. "You mean the one to find a partner first? Well, not really, but - hey, wait. If you have to be all secretive, you were never going to win, were you?"

"What - "

"What the hell, Tohsaka? You were so sure that I wasn't going to find someone that you - "

"Hey, that bet was _your_ idea, you know!" Rin glared. "And for your information, just because I have a little handicap, that doesn't mean I couldn't find someone!"

"Oh, that's a likely story. You're just..." Ayako trailed off as Rin began to snicker. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Rin couldn't stop laughing, though. "It's just...the bet doesn't matter, anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"We agreed that the loser would do anything the winner said for a day, right?"

"Yeah." Ayako gave her a suspicious look. "And?"

"Well, that's just it. I don't need to win the bet anymore."

"Tohsaka. Let's pretend for a minute that I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"You're an outsider, and outsiders can't know about magic. That's why you're supposed to die, right?"

Ayako nodded, mouth a grim line. "And?"

"What if you weren't an outsider?"

"Not an outsider - "

Ayako stiffened.

Rin smiled.

"Tohsaka. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"We'll have to test you, of course. There's no point in making you my apprentice if you'll never be able to use magic." Rin's smile widened. "But even if you can't, I can always use a gofer."

Ayako's eyes shot open in alarm. "Tohsaka - "

"Either way, Mitsuzuri Ayako..."

Rin looked down into her friend's eyes, and beamed.

"From now on, you belong to me."

* * *

_It hurt._

_This, in and of itself, was nothing new. The girl was accustomed to pain; searing hunger and twisted torture were her bedrock realities. She didn't like it, but she was used to it, all the same._

_Betrayal, though - that was new. That was unfamiliar. That was a novelty, and it struck at an area where she had not had the opportunity to deaden herself._

_In large part, that was because it had been so long since she'd actually trusted someone._

_Even with her Senpai, there had always been the expectation that if and when she was exposed, she would be banished. Their relationship was a parasitic one; she took what she needed from him, without his knowledge or permission. Trust never entered into the equation._

_No, this was new. And all the more jarring, because the girl hadn't actually realized that she had offered that trust until it was thrown back in her face._

_The girl was hurting._

_And thus, it was little surprise to her that she saw the past of the Servant Saber._

_This was a dream. She knew this; she understood now what it was that she saw. Likewise, she knew and understood that this was not something that she was supposed to see._

_But that was fine. The girl was a parasite; she would take what she could, for as long as she could get away with it._

_That was something Saber was accustomed to, as well._

_The king was strong. The girl knew this, from the legends if nothing else - but each time she saw it, the realization was impressed upon her anew._

_Arturia had known nothing but betrayal. The knights and the people demanded that she function as "king" for their benefit, even as they did their utmost to sabotage her ability to do so. She had never known even a moment's peace; her reign was an unending sequence of conquest and pain._

_War or peace - it made no difference. Her closest comrades turned on her, yet she persevered anyway._

_Her path was fruitless. It would lead only to her own ruin. She had known this from the beginning. Yet Arturia walked it anyway, without hesitation, without flinching._

_Saber was strong. Even if she had been mistaken, even if she regretted the path that she had taken - she had walked that path without fail, no matter the cost to herself, just as she now did in her efforts to remedy her mistakes._

_Yes, Saber was strong - far stronger than the girl. She couldn't do the things that Saber had done._

_She could only watch the acts of the strong king who had bound herself to her, and envy that strength._

* * *

Saber watched with a frown as Sakura shifted uneasily in her sleep.

At least it _was_ sleep. Saber had been worried when Sakura collapsed; she was showing signs of dreaming now, though, and that was good - she should wake soon.

Saber had found refuge in a park by the river. At this time of day on a Wednesday, the place was deserted; now Saber sat, Sakura lying in her lap, keeping watch for anyone who might come.

"...Saber...?"

Saber looked down, and smiled.

"Welcome back, Master. How are you feeling?"

"Where...?"

"A park near the bridge. I pulled you out after Rider lowered the boundary field."

"Rider...Nii-san!" Sakura's eyes went wide. She tried to sit up, but Saber gently held her down by the shoulders. "Saber, where are they? What happened?"

"Calm yourself, Sakura." Saber grimaced. Rider had said - but there was no way she could tell Sakura that, so - "What do you recall?"

Sakura bit her lip. "It took me a bit of time to get used to looking through the boundary field. When I found Mitsuzuri-senpai...she was with Nii-san. He was fighting Tohsaka-senpai."

"Rin and Shinji?" Saber raised an eyebrow. "Ayako made it all the way back there?"

"Yes. She was sitting against a wall to the side. Rider and Archer were fighting, but then Nii-san was captured from behind...was that Caster?"

Saber noddeed.

"So Caster and...wait. _Kuzuki-sensei?_"

Saber blinked. "Someone you know?"

"Yes. He's a teacher at the school, but...that can't be right. He's not a mage; he shouldn't be able to..."

"Is he like Shinji?"

"I don't think so. I didn't see a book, and he would have needed one to take control of a Servant like Nii-san did."

"Is there another way?" Saber asked. "Caster is the most knowledgeable of the Servants. If anyone could find another way, it would be her."

"I don't know. Maybe...I don't know." Sakura sighed. "They had Nii-san in some kind of binding. He was frozen in place. There was a barrier between them and the others, and Rider was trying to break it, but she couldn't..." She winced, and put her hands to her temples.

"Sakura?"

"She wasn't strong enough. She needed more power. But she couldn't, so..." Sakura winced again. "Saber, what happened? I remember I tried to do _something_, but..."

"So that is what happened."

Sakura's eyes went wide, and Saber's head whipped around.

"Rider!"

_How did she get so close without my noticing?_

"When did you - "

Rider ignored Saber's question. "Shinji had ordered me to break through Caster's barrier. It almost felt like he used a Command Spell...but even with the Book of False Attendant, that should have been impossible."

"But Sakura trying to give you more power - "

Rider nodded. "She destroyed the Book, and retook possession of my contract."

Neither Rider's voice nor her expression changed in the slightest. But even so, Saber sensed dissatisfaction in Rider's words.

Why? She still had a Master, and a far better Master than Shinji could ever have hoped to be, at that. She was in no danger of being eliminated from the Holy Grail War, so why -

"Rider, what happened? Where's Nii-san?"

Rider did not answer.

Saber gave her a worried look. "Rider..."

Sakura sat upright, and stared at the Servant. "Where's Nii-san, Rider?" Rider remained silent, and Sakura's voice took on a hint of panic. "_Where's Nii-san?_"

"...Shinji is dead."

Sakura gave a sharp cry, and slumped in Saber's grasp.

Saber tightened her embrace of her Master, then turned back to Rider. "What precisely happened? I saw the energy Sakura was feeding you. Was that not enough to - "

"No, it was sufficient for the purpose intended. With Sakura's energy, I was able to penetrate Caster's barrier." Rider shook her head. "However, the surge I received was not sustainable. When Sakura gave out, Caster was able to retake the upper hand."

"My fault..."

Saber looked down. "Sakura?"

"I couldn't keep it up." Sakura's head was still bowed. "I tried, but I couldn't - and now Nii-san's - _because of me - !_" She buried her face in her hands, and began to cry.

"Sakura..."

"That is not entirely true, Sakura."

Sakura continued to sob.

"What do you mean, Rider?"

"It is true that under normal circumstances, a Master would not have failed as Sakura did. But you should already know that these are not normal circumstances."

Saber blinked in puzzlement.

Rider sighed. "You still do not understand?"

Saber growled. "Rider..."

"I told you before that Shinji's survival was for our Master's benefit. This is precisely the situation I sought to avoid."

"What does that have to do with - "

And then, at last, she realized.

_'So you would have our Master support a second Servant?'_

_'Of course not. No Master would be so foolish.'_

_'Sakura is our Master, Saber.'_

"Two Servants," she breathed.

How could she have missed that?

Sakura had two Servants. She was now supporting not only Saber, but Rider, as well. Even for a normal Master, that would result in diminished Servants, at best.

For Sakura, it was an outright disaster.

She had been trying to feed Rider additional energy, while also supporting Saber - and while her own magic devoured her from within.

No wonder she had collapsed!

"And now you see." Rider's voice was low and even. "Our situation has worsened considerably, Saber. We must act with caution from here on out."

Saber frowned. "What would you suggest?"

"We must seek to avoid combat as much as possible. I will hunt discreetly to lessen Sakura's burden, and - "

"No."

Both Servants looked at their Master in surprise.

"Sakura?"

"No, Rider." Sakura glared at the Servant. "You aren't going to be hunting anyone."

"But, Sakura - "

"How many people did you kill at my school?" Tears continued to stream down Sakura's cheeks. However, they were not tears of sorrow, now. "How many?"

"That is a difficult question." Rider tilted her head in thought. "I am uncertain how many perished before I lifted the Bloodfort. I did slay a teacher when Shinji and I entered the school, and a girl the night before."

"A girl - the captain?"

Rider nodded.

Sakura gave a shuddering sigh. "No more. No more killing. I don't care what it does to me; the deaths stop here."

"Sakura - "

"Don't make me use a Command Spell, Rider."

Rider stiffened, then bowed. "Very well, then."

Saber coughed lightly, drawing their attention. "We still need to decide what to do. Returning home would be inadvisable at the moment; we would be open to attack from Archer's Master."

"Sakura has been revealed, then?"

Saber nodded. "Tohsaka Rin has learned that she is my Master."

"I see."

For a moment, all fell silent. Saber looked at Rider, pondering, and at Sakura, looking between them.

Realization struck her even as Rider's head came up.

"It would appear that our positions have been reversed, Saber."

Saber smirked. "My thoughts exactly."

Sakura blinked. "Um, what are you...?"

"As far as anyone is aware, Rider's Master was Shinji," Saber said. "Without a Master..."

"They will assume that I have perished, just as they did Saber when her summoner abandoned his contract." Rider smiled. "It is my turn to lurk in the shadows. While Saber draws our enemies' attention..."

For a split second, Rider's form was replaced in Saber's mind by a dark figure in a rumpled trench coat.

"Saber?"

She shook her head, and returned herself to the present. _At least it's a Servant, this time._ "That should work," she said. "But will you be all right on your own? Sakura and I had gone to ground, but - "

"With my Master's permission, I will summon a mount. That should provide me with sufficient mobility."

"A mount?" Saber frowned. "Rider, with Sakura's condition, I do not think a Noble Phantasm is - "

"I did not say I would use my Noble Phantasm."

"You won't?"

Rider shook her head. "It can be considered a part of me, much like my weapons; as such, it falls under the Grail's purview. Aside from the initial summoning, the drain should be negligible. And with the energy I gathered from the school, I am near capacity."

"Energy you gathered by murdering children," Saber said in a flat voice.

That drew a sharp hiss from Sakura. Rider, though, simply nodded.

"You should be well aware by now that I am a monster, Saber."

_Well aware - _

Saber did a double-take.

_Is she talking about...?_

"Rider, you - "

Rider ignored Saber and turned to Sakura. "Even if I so desired, I cannot return what I have taken. No such method exists."

Sakura recoiled as if she had been struck.

"Sakura?"

"I'm all right, Saber. Rider..." Sakura gave the Servant a long, measuring look. Rider returned her gaze without flinching.

Neither spoke. The silence drew on, and Saber had to resist the urge to fidget.

What was Sakura looking for? What was she seeing? Saber didn't think they were communicating mentally, but something was passing back and forth between them nonetheless.

It was an uncomfortable reminder once again that Rider was different from Saber. She had been summoned by Sakura - summoned for a Holy Grail War that seemed to have caught the Matou unaware, without the time to properly obtain an artifact for the summoning.

A catalyst with a connection to the Servant summoned was essential. If no artifact was used, then the summoner herself became the catalyst...and summoned the Heroic Spirit most like her.

Rider understood Sakura in a way that Saber did not, and probably never would - and Sakura likewise understood Rider.

For Saber, who had lived her life in isolation among many - whose Masters had betrayed her and abandoned her, in turn - it was a searing reminder of what she lacked, and why she had failed in life and the Holy Grail War alike.

At last, Sakura nodded.

"Do it."

"Yes, Master."

Rider withdrew several paces, as Sakura and Saber looked on. One of the spikes she wielded appeared in her hand.

Then she reversed her grip, and slashed her own throat.

"_What - _"

Saber had to restrain herself as blood gushed from the wound. Even for a Servant, that should have been fatal, and Rider seemed to clutch at her neck in vain as the crimson fluid continued to pour out.

But then Saber noticed.

None of the blood had touched the ground.

It floated in a crimson mass before the Servant, and began to take shape.

A magic circle, drawn in blood. Circles within squares within circles, filled with arcane writing, and the figure of a spider at its center.

Blood from her neck -

_Medusa's neck - _

Even as a great wind kicked up in the park, Saber realized just what Rider was summoning.

A great eye opened in the middle of the circle, behind the spider - and then it appeared, in a bright flash.

A figure of the purest white, with massive wings spread to either side. It reared once, letting out an ear-piercing shriek, then calmed as Rider approached, and nuzzled at her hand.

Pegasus.

A fantastic beast, from the age of the gods. A "divine mystery" surpassing magic, comparable even to the mighty dragons.

It had been born from the lifeblood of the Gorgon Medusa, when she was decapitated by the hero Perseus using the holy sword Herpe. This was why she had been summoned into the Rider class; it was - wait -

"That _isn't_ your Noble Phantasm?"

Rider smiled. "No. This child is gentle, and not suited for battle. Unless I use my Noble Phantasm, he will not adopt the proper mindset for combat."

_An aggressive Pegasus..._

Yes, that would be an effective weapon. Saber nodded - then paused.

"Should you be telling me this? You said yourself - "

"It is best that you be aware of it, so that you can anticipate it if we are forced to cooperate. And when it comes down to the two of us..." Rider shook her head. "It will be of little use."

"What do you mean?"

"Arturia Pendragon."

Saber stiffened.

"King of the Britons. Wielder of the sacred sword, Excalibur."

Sakura looked back and forth between the two of them as Saber gritted her teeth.

What was Rider playing at? To blurt out her identity like that - true, Sakura already knew, but even so! For that matter, how did she learn Saber's identity to begin with? It wasn't like she'd seen her past, like Saber had when...

...oh.

Saber sighed quietly. "So you got caught up in that, as well."

Rider nodded.

"Rider, I apologize. I don't know what I did, but - "

"Somehow, that does not surprise me."

Saber flinched at the words.

Rider, though, continued without acknowledging her reaction. "However, it is of no consequence. I was caught unaware; that is what allowed it to ensnare me, as well. That will not happen again." She shifted. "More importantly, Saber."

"My identity."

Rider nodded again. "I have been aware of it since the old man addressed you. However, at the time I did not fully appreciate it, and what it meant for the Holy Grail War."

"And now you do?"

"Yes." Rider grimaced. "And that is why it does not matter if you know of this Noble Phantasm of mine."

The Pegasus snorted, and stamped the ground. Rider stroked its mane, calming it again, then continued.

"I had believed my Noble Phantasm to be the most powerful of any Servant in this War. Had I not known of your identity, I would have employed it against you."

She stepped away from the Pegasus, and faced Saber squarely.

"And in that moment, the sword I saw you wield would have wiped me from this plane of existence."

"Rider..."

"You are stronger than I am, Saber. I freely acknowledge this." She gave them a brief smile, then turned away. "I look forward to the day when I will have the challenge of overcoming you."

Rider swung herself onto the Pegasus' back. The winged horse lifted into the air with a massive beat of its wings, kicking up a gust that nearly toppled Saber and Sakura; within seconds, it was a mere speck in the sky - and then, it was out of sight altogether.

Saber looked over at Sakura. "You should rest for now. We'll move after sunset."

"All right."

The two settled down once more, Sakura's head again in Saber's lap.

"Saber?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"What was Rider talking about? Why did she think she'll have to fight you?"

_Sakura doesn't know?_

Saber felt like hitting herself. Of course Sakura didn't know - Saber hadn't told her, and Rider had never been in a position to do so.

"That is...a private matter, between Rider and myself. It is nothing with which you need concern yourself."

"Saber..."

"Worry not, Sakura. Rider and I will return Shirou to you." Saber rested her hand on Sakura's head. "Whatever disputes lay between us, we are both agreed on that."

"But...what about..."

Sakura's voice trailed off.

"...Sakura?"

Saber looked down at her Master. Sakura's eyes were closed, and her breaths were deep and even.

Saber smiled.

"Sleep well, Master."

* * *

Something was not right.

Lancer spared another glance at Caster and her Master, sitting safe and sound behind that damned barrier, as he demolished another half-dozen bone golems.

The shield, whatever it was made of, was a strong defense. It had repelled Gae Bolg as handily as Berserker's skin had, and that was saying something.

Yet with such a great advantage, Caster had done nothing more than smile, lob a few easily dodged energy blasts, and swamp him with wave after wave of golems.

Lancer smelled a rat.

True, the golems had varied in formation, forcing him to reveal more of his fighting style in their destruction than he would have liked - but in a battle between Servants, that was par for the course, even for a weakling like Caster.

No, she was waiting for something, and Lancer wasn't sure what.

Something had been niggling at the back of his mind. It had been ever since he hit the building; even before Caster had turned the punk's body into a cruciform bomb, it had -

Wait. _The punk - _

In the next second, Lancer broke away from the golems. He hastily sketched a rune -

"**Ἄτλας!**"

The sudden pressure was almost suffocating. It was as if he had been buried in a mountain, with nothing but miles of unseen rock pressing in on him from every direction.

It was an absurdly powerful spell - and Caster had invoked it with a single word.

_She deserves her class, all right._

"What's wrong, Lancer? You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders!" Caster laughed. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Magic from my age must seem like sorcery to you - "

Lancer straightened, and stood upright with no effort at all.

"Heh."

He smirked, and gave Caster a cheery wave.

Caster, on the other hand, had lost her smile.

"_What?_ How did you - "

With an effort, she got herself back under control. It was plainly obvious, though, that she was seething.

Lancer had guessed well.

It was the punk's body that had clued him in. There were any number of ways to stand it upright like that - but with its arms outstretched and motionless, and ashes stuck to its right hand?

There was only one possible answer:

Stasis.

Caster had to have altered the air pressure around her target, and frozen everything nearby in place.

And that deduction had allowed Lancer to prepare a counter.

_Ehwaz_ - rune of movement. The opposite of stasis.

By applying it to his own body, Lancer had created a pocket of motion, keyed to himself, and in so doing prevented Caster's spell from using him as an anchor.

Without a focus, the spell had dissipated almost as quickly as it had been cast.

_If that was her trump card, the hard part is going to be getting out of here without killing her._

Lancer grinned, and brandished Gae Bolg. "Come on, Caster! We're just getting started!"

More golems sprang up in response.

Lancer laid into them with a vengeance. But even as he did, he couldn't help but glance over at the pair still hiding behind their unbreakable wall, and grin.

Caster wasn't smiling anymore.

* * *

"Okay, let me make sure I've got this straight. You and Shinji were fighting each other for the Holy Grail. THE Holy Grail."

"Or a reasonably powerful facsimile thereof."

"Right." Ayako gave Tohsaka a flat look. "As I was saying. You, Shinji, and five others have been fighting for the Holy Grail."

Tohsaka nodded.

"It'll go to the last one standing."

Tohsaka nodded.

"It's capable of granting any wish."

Tohsaka nodded.

"You, however, don't _have_ a wish."

Tohsaka nodded.

"But you're risking your life for it anyway."

Tohsaka nodded.

"Tohsaka, you are out of your ever-loving mind."

Tohsaka started to nod, then caught herself and glared.

"What? There's a six in seven chance that you're going to die - for _nothing_ - "

"Five in six, now."

"Not. Funny."

Tohsaka looked away first.

"Sorry."

"Seriously - what the hell, Tohsaka? You volunteered to kill six other people, for something you don't even want?"

"It wasn't that I volunteered, exactly." Tohsaka held up the back of her hand. There, near the wrist, was a single red mark - an upturned crescent.

"What's that?"

"A Command Spell. It's what lets me command a Servant in this War."

"A Servant..."

The other girl hadn't said much about how, exactly, this war for the Holy Grail was fought. But Ayako could guess. Tohsaka hadn't been fighting herself; there had been someone else with her - a man in a red coat, with white hair.

And he had been opposed by a terrifying blindfolded woman with long, violet hair.

"So...Shinji had something like that too?"

"Probably." Ayako wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean, but Tohsaka went on before she could. "But my point is, I had to have the Command Spells _before_ I could summon Archer. They're what make me eligible to be a Master in the first place."

"So how did you get them?"

"I didn't. They were given to me."

Ayako blinked, uncomprehending.

"The Grail is sentient, Ayako. It chooses the seven Masters itself - and as you can see, I was chosen. The Command Spells are the sign of that."

"Okay..." Then, as the thought occurred to her - "Hey, Tohsaka. You keep saying Command Spells, plural, right?"

Tohsaka nodded. "Each Master gets three. Why?"

"It's just that, there's only the one mark on your hand. Are the other two somewhere else?"

Tohsaka's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated; she glanced off to the side, and finally mumbled something under her breath.

"What was that?"

"...sed...ady."

"What?"

"I used...dy."

"Tohsaka, I can't hear you."

"**I SAID I USED TWO ALREADY!**"

Tohsaka glowered down at her, and held up one fist menacingly. "Happy now?"

"...I was just asking."

Tohsaka glared at her a moment longer, then slumped back in her chair. "Anyway. The point is, I was a Master from the time the marks appeared, whether I summoned a Servant or not."

"So...you were forced into this?"

"...no." Tohsaka sighed. "I was chosen, but it was a given that I would be. My family has been after the Grail for centuries; as a mage, I could hardly avoid it. I've been preparing for this since the last Grail War ended, ten years ago."

"Ten years - " Ayako did some quick math in her head, and was appalled by the results. "You've been planning to murder people since you were _six?_"

"It's not murder! It's..." Tohsaka sighed again. "Ayako, do you remember what I said to Shinji? About the rules of magic?"

"What, no outsiders?"

"No, the other one."

"That was..." Ayako frowned. "To be a mage - "

_'To be a mage is to walk with death.'_

Tohsaka nodded. "You need to understand that, especially if you end up being my apprentice rather than my slave."

Ayako gave Tohsaka a flat look.

Tohsaka ignored her. "Magic is something opposed to the world," she said. "We gradually destroy ourselves casting spells, and if we slip up even once, our own powers can kill us outright. I could die at any time; it's something I resign myself to every day."

"'Every morning, make up your mind to die; every evening, freshen your mind with the thought of death'?"

Tohsaka blinked. "Was that _Hagakure_?"

Ayako nodded.

"Well, it's something like that. Not exactly, but close." Tohsaka gave her a wry grin. "It's the same for everyone engaged in the practice; our lives really aren't that important."

"_Not that - _" Ayako caught herself, and took a breath. "If your life isn't that important, what _is?_"

"This."

Tohsaka stood, and rolled up her left sleeve.

Ayako stared in disbelief.

Tohsaka's left forearm was covered with scars - no, that wasn't right. Not scars, _tattoos_ - geometric patterns, engraved into her flesh. Even as Ayako watched, they began to pulse and glow with a faint green light.

"What - _what is that?_"

"This is the Tohsaka family's Magic Crest."

"Magic...Crest?"

"This is the physical manifestation of everything my ancestors learned and discovered. It's the most valuable thing I possess; with it, every spell every Tohsaka ever developed is at my fingertips."

Ayako had no idea what to say to that.

"I'm the head of the Tohsaka family. I have three duties: to preserve this Crest, to add my own research to it, and finally to pass it on to the next generation."

The glow died, and the scar-like tattoos faded away, leaving unblemished skin. Tohsaka rolled her sleeve back down, then continued. "I've made arrangements for the Crest in case I pass away, so what we've built up won't be lost. The other Masters should be the same. That's why it doesn't matter if we die."

"They all have Magic Crests like that?"

"The forms are different, but yes. They all should. There'd be no point, otherwise."

"No point...because what they learn can't be passed on?"

"Exactly." Tohsaka sat back down. "Magic doesn't exist for its own sake. Just about everything you can do with magic can be done without it, as well. We study and practice magic because we believe that in so doing, we can eventually reach the Origin."

"The Origin?"

"The source of everything. It's..." Tohsaka trailed off, then sighed. "Honestly, I don't understand it much better than that, myself. But it's what every mage is aiming for. The Origin lies outside of this world, so we use magic, which is opposed to this world, to try and reach it."

"Has anyone ever actually gotten there?"

Tohsaka gave her a wry grin. "What do you think?"

"I'm guessing that's a 'no.'"

"Good guess." Tohsaka's face softened, and her gaze became distant. "It's not anything that can be accomplished in a lifetime, or in a hundred lifetimes, for that matter. It's like we're driving a car, and trying to reach the moon. We tinker with the engine, then hand it on to the next generation - but it's still a car. It's still earthbound. We're just hoping that someday, somehow, one of our descendants will manage it. But that descendant won't even have the chance unless all of us up the line do our job first."

"That's..."

"But we've gotten a bit sidetracked." Tohsaka shook her head. "Long story short: My family doesn't lose much if I die, and the other Masters' families won't lose much, either. So it's not that big of a deal for us to kill each other."

"And people who aren't mages?"

"I don't," Tohsaka said quickly.

"But some do?"

Tohsaka's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I hate to say it, but Shinji technically had the right of that. The most important thing for our society is secrecy - and even that is mainly because in the modern age, exposure would hinder our research. As long as that secrecy is preserved..."

"Anything goes."

Tohsaka nodded.

"Tohsaka, you people are seriously messed up."

"It is what it is." Tohsaka shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, Shinji had the complete wrong idea about what secrecy actually _meant._ Passing off what's been happening in Shinto as gas leaks is a stretch as it is; even if Shinji had finished off the school, there's no way an excuse like that would have cut it."

"Yeah, I can - " Wait. "Gas leaks? Those things are related to this?"

Rin nodded. "That's a Master's doing. One of them is holed up at the Ryudou Temple; she's been draining life energy from the town."

"Man - is every Master a psychopath?"

"Of course not!" Tohsaka seemed almost offended by the suggestion. "We're _sociopaths._ Get it right."

"That makes me feel so much better." Ayako's mind ran back over the past few days, and immediately zeroed in on one incident. "What about the mess at the crossroads? Was that - "

"That was a Servant, of course," Tohsaka said quickly.

A little too quickly.

Ayako's eyes narrowed. "Whose Servant?"

"Not mine, if that's what you're asking."

Ayako continued to glare.

About thirty seconds later, Tohsaka broke.

"All right, all right. I don't know who was behind it...but the victim was Emiya-kun."

"Emiya...Wait. _Emiya?_"

Tohsaka nodded.

"Ex-archery club? Helps anyone who asks? Punched Shinji's lights out? _That_ Emiya?"

"There weren't two idiots like that on this planet."

Ayako's mind whirled. She wouldn't have wished that on _Shinji_, much less - "Does Sakura know about this? What about - wait, how do _you_ know about it?"

"I know about it because I was with him just before he died." Tohsaka hesitated. "You see...Emiya-kun was a Master, too."

"_What?_"

Every time. Every time Ayako thought she couldn't be surprised any more, something like this came out.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Tohsaka sighed. "But he had the Command Spells, and he summoned a Servant. Completely by accident, as far as I can tell - but he did it anyway."

"So Emiya was killed in - wait. You said there were five others left, didn't you? Shouldn't it be four?"

Tohsaka shook her head. "I told you that the Grail chooses the Masters, not the other way around. Emiya-kun is a perfect example of that. He was dragged in without having a clue about what was going on - so the first chance he got, he dropped out."

"Dropped out?"

"He used up his Command Spells, and broke the contract with his Servant. That should have been the end of it for him, but..." She shrugged. "Someone didn't feel like taking chances, I guess."

With an effort, Ayako forced her mind away from her memories of the gory scene. It was hard to do, especially since she was now superimposing Emiya's face over it all. "That doesn't explain why you said Emiya's not out of the War."

"Emiya-kun is out. His _Servant_ isn't." Tohsaka grimaced. "She managed to find another Master before her time ran out. Saber's still out there, and - "

"_Saber?_"

She'd known something was off about that girl, even before what happened at the school. She shouldn't have been surprised.

Somehow, though, she still was.

"Sakura's friend? _That_ Saber?"

Tohsaka looked at Ayako in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"How could you _not?_" Now it was Ayako's turn to give a surprised look. "It was all over the school - Matou's foreign friend, who stood up to Fujimura-sensei and...Tohsaka?"

The other girl buried her head in her hands, and groaned.

"I did it _again_...I am really, really glad Archer was not here to see that."

Archer. Saber. Shinji had called that woman "Rider." Ayako was beginning to see a pattern.

_Wait. If Saber was with Sakura - _

"Tohsaka...does that mean that Sakura's a Master?"

Tohsaka nodded. "Three guesses what she's fighting for."

"So eventually...you and she are going to have to..."

"Archer and Saber, at least." Tohsaka shrugged and glanced away, and if Ayako hadn't had as much practice in looking through the girl as she did, she might have missed just how much Tohsaka was bothered. "If Saber goes down, Sakura could flee to the church in Shinto. She'd be safe there."

"The church?"

"The priest there is in charge of the Holy Grail War." Tohsaka looked like she'd bitten into something sour. "There's some overlap with me, but mainly, his job is to minimize the damage from the Masters."

"How?"

"He'll provide sanctuary to any Master who's lost his Servant and wants to withdraw from the War." Tohsaka grimaced. "Emiya-kun refused to take shelter there, and you saw what happened. Beyond that, he and his people do their best to cover up the damage the Servants do."

"Damage like the school?"

She nodded. "Like the school."

"So...he's going to take care of everyone?"

"When it's safe, yes."

Ayako frowned. "When it's...safe?"

"We retreated." Tohsaka began counting on her fingers. "Saber retreated. Rider slunk off to die. But there were still two Servants left, remember? I can't call the church in until Lancer and Caster are gone." She glanced out the window. "That's what Archer is doing right now - he's watching the school, so he can let me know when the fight is over."

"How's he going to let you know? Cell phone?"

Tohsaka gave her an odd look. "What kind of phone?" She shook her head. "No, we're linked mentally. When Archer needs to talk to me, he can - " She stopped, and stiffened.

"Tohsaka?"

"Not now, Ayako."

Wait.

_'Ayako'? When did she start calling me - _

But she pushed that thought aside. Tohsaka's eyes had gone wide, and the color had drained from her face.

"No way...that's..."

"Tohsaka?"

Tohsaka Rin broke into a torrent of the foulest profanities Ayako had ever heard.

* * *

Lancer's lips curled back, baring his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin.

He was still trapped in the hallway. He was still fighting an endless barrage of bone golems. He was still dodging or countering inconveniently placed spells from Caster.

And he was having the most fun of any fight in this War.

For once, that damned Command Spell was irrelevant. No matter how many golems Lancer took out, he would get no closer to defeating Caster - so, for all intents and purposes, he was not being held back for the first time since Kotomine Kirei became his Master.

(He was _holding_ back, of course - but that was just common sense. He needed to keep something in reserve; only a complete idiot - or Berserker - would reveal all his powers at once.)

Lancer was almost grateful to Caster for her magical attacks. After the way his Master had starved him, he would have been in danger of overindulging in the fight without the other Servant's interference to remind him of his situation.

Caster, on the other hand, didn't look happy at all.

She hadn't been happy since Lancer's rune nullified her paralysis attack, and her scowl had only grown worse as the fight progressed. Every blast of cutting air dodged, every flame doused, every spell countered had elicited a fresh growl from the hooded Servant, and even now he could hear her slowly grinding her teeth.

Lancer understood exactly what she was feeling. He was doing the same thing to Caster that Archer had done to _him_ - fighting her in the one area where she should have had a decisive advantage.

Lancer should no more have been able to match Caster in magic than Archer should have been able to match Lancer in close combat. But the bastard had done it, and now, so had Lancer. It had to be intensely frustrating for Caster...not to mention humiliating.

Lancer cleared out the latest round of golems, then looked over to the Servant. "Hey, Caster! Why don't you try using a spear, now?"

Little sparks began to jump about Caster's hands, and Lancer smirked.

The angrier she got, the sloppier she would become. Sooner or later, she would make an error, and when she did -

"Caster, enough."

Caster turned in surprise, and Lancer used the chance to take stock of the man who had to be her Master.

...or was he?

He wasn't a mage, as far as Lancer could tell - even Saber's first Master had had more of a spark than this guy - but his presence was unsettling, nonetheless. He didn't carry himself with the sense of purpose that the other Masters in this War did; his posture was empty, lacking, unobtrusive. It was almost as if...

"Souichirou-sama?"

Lancer raised an eyebrow as the man stepped forward to the barrier. Caster, too, looked on in surprise.

"Caster."

Caster hesitated for a moment. Then, a slow smile broke out over her face, and she lowered the barrier.

"Hey, wait a second. Are you serious?"

Caster's Master advanced, hands still at his sides.

"Hey, Caster!" Lancer gestured to the mortal. "You do realize what'll happen when I kill this guy, don't you?"

"Of course." Caster's smile widened. "You'll have defeated me."

Lancer froze.

"You..."

She knew.

_'Fight against everyone, but do not defeat them.'_

He didn't know how she'd found out, and ultimately that didn't matter. However it had happened, Caster knew that Lancer couldn't beat her here.

And thus, she also knew that her Master's life was perfectly safe.

"You really are a sorry cheat." Lancer snorted in disgust as he turned to her Master. "Relying on - _whoa!_"

He sprang to the side as something incredibly heavy grazed his arm, sending him staggering for balance.

"What the - "

Even as the words passed his lips, another bomb went off, clipping his shoulder and nearly spinning him around.

_What is she - _

He looked for Caster...and his jaw dropped.

She was standing there, motionless, with a pleased smile. She hadn't done anything.

_But if they're not coming from Caster, then - _

His instincts screamed a warning, and Lancer threw himself back, going into a roll, and dodging another attack. He came to his feet, and stared in disbelief at the source.

Caster's Master, standing with his fists curled atop one another at his abdomen.

"You - what - how - "

"You did well to break the range of the attack."

Lancer looked at the man again. He took in his stance, and the blood on his right fist - the punk's blood.

That would make those bombs..._punches?_

Obviously, Caster's magic was strengthening him. But even so! He wasn't even breathing hard, and -

Lancer's eyes went wide.

_Breath._

That was what he'd been sensing. Perfect breathing. This man had no wasted motions; everything he did enjoyed absolute efficiency.

"You..."

This man was a trained fighter, and a master at that.

He was the perfect Master for a Caster.

Lancer's face split in a wide grin.

"Hey, Caster - I take it back. This'll be fun!"

He darted forward -

"**Αἐρο!**"

- and then to the side, dodging Caster's blast of air -

" - _oof!_"

- and moving squarely into the path of her Master's fist.

Lancer frantically sprang back and forth. The man's arm pivoted at the elbow; he changed the angle of his punches constantly, snaking in and out of Lancer's guard, hammering him from the sides.

And all the while, Caster's blasts showered down on either side, forcing Lancer to continue facing her Master head-on.

It was a beautiful piece of teamwork. Lancer would have appreciated it a bit more if they weren't using it against _him_, though.

Lancer sprang back, trying to get some space, but the Master pursued, hammering him with those unrelenting blows.

He wasn't letting up, at all - and Lancer was running out of space. Caster had only taken down one barrier; Lancer could feel the second looming up behind him. If he didn't do something about that barrier soon -

Well. That could work.

Lancer sprang back one more time - but as he did, he jabbed Gae Bolg into the floor. He used it to support himself for the half-second it took to plant his feet against the unseen wall, and let the momentum of his movement bend his knees.

Then, he pushed off.

"_What - _"

Caster shouted in surprise as Lancer soared over the head of her Master. He landed at the man's back, with Gae Bolg at the ready.

"Gotcha!"

Killing Caster's Master might have been out, but there was no reason he couldn't cripple the man.

"_Souichirou-sama!_"

Lancer shot forward even as Caster's Master began to turn, spearpoint aimed in a blindingly quick thrust at the base of his spine -

And then, he came to a jarring halt.

"_What?_"

Lancer stared in disbelief.

The head of Gae Bolg was caught between the Master's elbow and knee.

_How did he-_

Lancer tried to pull the spear free -

"Caster."

"**Ἄτλας!**"

- but he couldn't move.

"What the - !"

Lancer was paralyzed.

_HOW?_

That spell shouldn't have been able to touch him! He had the rune, so it couldn't use him as a target, and -

Lancer's eyes went to Gae Bolg.

Gae Bolg, still caught between an elbow and a knee.

And then, he understood.

Caster hadn't cast the spell on Lancer.

She'd cast it on _her own Master._

Her own Master, who had no such protections, was frozen instantly. And Lancer was captured in the bargain.

Lancer struggled to move as Caster approached the pair. But it was no good; he couldn't break free. He could only watch as Caster slowly circled them, smiling all the while.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Finish it, already!"

Caster smirked. "Well, Souichirou-sama? What do you think?"

Her Master had not taken his eyes off of Lancer. Even paralyzed, his breath was as even and unhurried as ever.

"I do not care. Do as you wish."

"I see." Her smirk widened. "In that case..."

She reached into her robes, and pulled out a dagger.

It was a strange weapon. The blade was badly warped, and oddly tinted; its construction was flimsy, and it was hardly threatening.

And yet, Lancer felt his heart race at the sight of it.

"Is that your Noble Phantasm, Caster?"

"Yes. This is Rule Breaker."

"Rule...Breaker..."

To name a Noble Phantasm was to give away one's own identity. For those on the Throne of Heroes, differences in time and era meant nothing; whether from the past or the future, all Heroic Spirits knew of one another's legends.

Rule Breaker. A symbol of severing and betrayal: the ultimate emblem of that most treacherous of Greek witches.

_Medea of Colchis? FUCK!_

Caster smiled. "As you can see, it is the weakest of all weapons. It has no attack power, and cannot kill even a single human. But it is an indulgence from the age of the gods, that is forgiven anything for one purpose."

And with that, Caster plunged the blade into Lancer's chest.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Lancer stared at Caster, then at Rule Breaker.

And then, the wound erupted in red light.

Within Lancer, there was a great ripping sensation. It was as if his soul had been torn loose from its moorings; it was buffeted about in the winds, as the wrath of the world was turned upon him.

Lancer knew this feeling. He'd experienced it before.

It was what he'd felt when the fake priest cut off Bazett's arm, and stole her Command Spells -

_No._

_No way._

_Oh, you have got to be fucking _**kidding** _me - _

The light grew, encompassing the entire hallway, as Lancer stared at Caster in disbelief. His sight disappeared, and as he felt a new contract lock into place, he could only throw back his head and scream.

"**NOT AGAIN!**"

* * *

He blinked as the light died down, clearing the spots from his eyes.

A moment earlier, he had been looking at the hallway of a school. Now, he found himself looking at the walls of his study.

He blinked once more, and took a long sip from the wineglass in his hand.

Then he set the glass down, rolled up his sleeve, and confirmed what he already knew.

Lancer's Command Spell was gone.

"Well, now."

Kotomine Kirei sat back, and allowed himself a small smile.

"That was interesting."

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	13. Feb 6: You Want Your Independence

**PRELIMINARIES:** None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g, _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

After dithering and procrastinating for far too long, I have finally decided on a new host for my website, The Codex Scribanus. It will likely be a couple more weeks before the site is up; when it is, I will make an announcement on my author profile page, and also on my LiveJournal (see profile for address).

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

It might be a bit of a stretch to call my prereaders, Kami, Shack, and Elf, modern-day Rumpelstiltskins, as this story is far from gold. Then again - they started with something a heck of a lot worse than straw, and I doubt anyone else could have done a better job. They are to be commended, regardless.

Now, sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

_"Useless! You're all USELESS!"_

_He watched silently as his Master berated the maid._

_"Ilya - "_

_"No! I don't want to hear it!"_

_The details were not important. Nor, for that matter, was the victim of this particular tirade. This was far from the first time Ilyasviel von Einzbern had blown up at her maids in the past day, and it was unlikely to be the last._

_"Just...go, Liz. Just go, already."_

_"...All right." The maid Leysritt curtsied, then departed._

_Ilya watched her go. She continued to watch after the maid's form had vanished, and as she did, her gaze drifted, until she came back to herself with a start. She scowled, and tore her eyes away from the stairs that led to the fourth floor._

_And to the boy she had claimed as her victim._

_Had it really been only a day since the dreams began? It felt like so much longer. Ilya's slumber - such as it was - had been fitful, uneasy...and above all, brief._

_She was unable to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Every time she closed her eyes, she was shocked awake by a fresh vision - often of flames and pain, but not always._

_Those others were even worse._

_Those displayed a grotesque parody of family harmony - repulsive even to one such as her, who had been raised as a pariah in her own house._

_A bumbling father - _her _father! - with dead eyes poorly hidden behind a weary smile. An empty son, blindly adoring the withered husk of the father and aping his disfigurements._

_A curse, killing the man from the inside out - a curse Ilya knew instinctively._

_Angra Mainyu._

_How had this happened? What had the Kiritsugu she remembered done, to draw this upon himself?_

_Visions of failure. Visions of despair. A lifetime's worth of regrets, each hitting the girl harder than the last, compressed into the space of a few minutes._

_And yet for all that Ilya had endured in her dreams, her Servant had it worse._

_Berserker, too, needed to sleep, for even in spirit form the drain on his Master was substantial, and needed to be reduced whenever possible. Unlike Ilya, though, his sleep was enforced. He did not have the luxury of awakening. For him, there was no escape from the visions that troubled his Master so deeply._

_He could not comprehend, truly. His Master had stripped away his sanity, even while denying him the enhancements that were his by right of class. But he could understand, nonetheless._

_He could understand the boy's struggles...just as he understood those of the girl who had controlled him in the forest, so many months ago._

_He could understand their similarities. But above all, he understood that the boy had brought his Master pain._

_He would have killed the boy, if he could - would have destroyed the source of his Master's pain - but he could not. His Master would not permit him such freedom, and even in the blood-tinted fog that passed for his mind, he understood that it was too late. The damage had already been done._

_Besides - he had already killed the boy, once._

_There was nothing Berserker could do...and nothing his Master could do, either._

_Ilya was hard. She had to be. She had needed strength to survive, and she'd understood instinctively how to gain the power she required:_

_By channeling her pain into white, searing hatred._

_She would not forgive weakness in herself. She would never back down, and would never admit failure._

_She would never admit wrong._

_She would never apologize._

_She couldn't._

_She didn't even know how._

_So nothing would change. Whatever she might have come to want, Ilya was locked into her course of action. The boy would continue to suffer his fate. Ilya would continue to suffer her dreams, even as she cursed her own weakness in turn._

_It was the only thing she knew how to do._

_"Berserker, we're going!"_

_His Master strode for the doors, and Berserker obediently followed in her wake._

_It was time to fight._

_The Holy Grail War was about to truly begin._

* * *

_**THE WORLD WITHOUT**_

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER XIII**

**2/6: YOU WANT YOUR INDEPENDENCE**

_She hurt._

_This had never changed. Always, always she was in pain; this was simply the way of things._

_She hurt when she hungered._

_She hurt when she fed._

_Perhaps it could even be seen as strength, of a sort._

_The girl did not see it that way, though. It did not matter what she could do, or what she could endure - she was weak. That was the core truth; everything else was to be arranged around it._

_Was that why she dreamt of Rider?_

_It was difficult to say. Certainly, the Gorgon Medusa had suffered; the constant strain from her involuntary metamorphosis could wear on anyone. And for Rider, too, even feeding was an exercise in pain._

_But no. That thought was merely self-deception, and the girl was too well-versed in deception to fool herself for long. She knew why she dreamt of Rider. It was because of _how _she fed._

_Bloodfort Andromeda._

_That crimson boundary field that devoured all caught within. She hated the very thought of it, but even so, she needed to see._

_Rider was her Servant. Even if it was too late, she needed to understand what she had done to her classmates._

_So she forced herself to watch. She watched as the men who had come for the sisters dissolved into the mist. She watched as the heroes who came for Medusa's life suffered the same fate. She watched, placing her classmates and teachers and fellow club members in the same straits as these unfortunate Greeks, and loathed herself._

_She had cause to do so._

_It was all too familiar to her, how Rider fed. She knew it, understood it; it resonated in her bones._

_Where Rider ate, the girl absorbed - and that was the only difference between them._

_The girl did not study her magic. Nothing had been expected of her intellect, and that was not her grandfather's way, regardless. The secrets of the Matou had been taught to her body, impressed upon her flesh with each new lesson._

_And now, even in her dreams, her body reacted, and imparted to her the truths she wished to deny in her pain._

_Yes, she could do that._

_No - she _would _do that._

_She had been created for nothing less._

* * *

Saber looked down as her Master stirred to awareness once more.

"Welcome back, Sakura."

"Saber?" Sakura blinked. "What...why is it so dark?"

"You have been asleep for some time. It is almost midnight."

"_Midnight?_" Sakura sat bolt upright. "Why did you let me sleep so long? We have to - " She cut off with a wince, and put one hand to her temple.

"For one thing," Saber said dryly, "you needed the rest. You still do. I would have you sleep through until dawn, if I thought we could get away with it. As it stands..." She shook her head. "At any rate, we needed to wait for the city to go to sleep before we set out."

Sakura closed her eyes with a sigh, then nodded. "All right. Where should we go now?"

"For now, I think, back to Shirou's house."

"Senpai's house?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion. "But didn't you say that Tohsaka-senpai - "

"I did. However, our delay will work to our advantage in this instance. Archer and his Master no doubt sought us out as soon as they could - but they do not have the time to stake out a position and wait." Saber flashed a thin smile. "When they found the house empty, they would have left to seek us elsewhere. If we can reach the house undetected, we should be safe there at least for the remainder of the night."

"All...all right." Sakura winced again.

"Sakura, are you all right?"

"My head hurts...but that's not going to change, is it?" Sakura pushed herself to her feet. "Come on, we'll - " She started to lose her balance, and had to grab onto Saber to stay upright.

Saber sighed. "Lean on me, Master. We will go slowly."

Sakura, head bowed and face flaming, did not reply.

* * *

It was slow going. Sakura's strength was all but gone, and Saber's nerves grew tighter with every stumble her Master made. By staying close to the ground, they should have been able to avoid most visibility...but that did not matter to the Servants and Masters. To them, Saber's presence would radiate like a bonfire.

The sooner they were safely home, the better.

"Just a little longer, Sakura. We are almost there."

They were nearly to the crossroads, now. From there, it was straight up the hill, and they would reach -

"About time! What kept you?"

Saber froze.

"Saber..."

"Sorry, Sakura." Saber grinned weakly back. "It seems fortune was not with us, this night."

Lancer stood in the intersection, spear resting lightly on his shoulder.

And he was not alone.

There was another Servant there, as well - a figure cloaked in shadows.

"Caster, too?" Sakura hissed sharply behind her, but Saber did not take her eyes off the Servants. "I did not think your Master would be the type to trust others, Lancer."

"Yeah, well..." Lancer grimaced. "See, that's the thing. I'm kind of under new management."

"New...management?" Saber's eyes widened. "You mean your Master has been - "

"Now, Saber. Let's not be hasty."

Her eyes were drawn to Caster as the shadows dissipated, revealing a woman shrouded in a purple robe. She stretched one arm out to the side...and Saber's jaw dropped in shock.

A red band of symbols was wrapped around Caster's arm.

Command Spells.

"Impossible...Lancer - you cannot mean that _Caster - !_"

"And why not?" Caster smiled. "I am a mage, chosen by the Grail. Is there some reason why I should not be a Master, as well?"

_'This War's Caster is making an even bigger mess of things than her predecessor.'_

Was this what Zouken had been talking about?

"Just what are you planning, Caster? Surely you do not expect to achieve victory with such underhanded - "

"Victory?"

Caster smirked, and Saber took an involuntary step back as Sakura's grip on her tightened.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something, Saber. You see...I've already won."

Saber's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means that the Holy Grail War is mine, Saber. I can end it whenever I wish. I'm thinking about _after_ the War - that's why I'm working so hard now." She smiled. "Think about it. The Holy Grail is supposed to be an infinite artifact, is it not? So why, then, do we have to fight over it? If it will not run out, no matter how we split it, then would it not be better for us to share in its power?"

"That is not possible, Caster. The Holy Grail will not manifest until all Servants but one have - "

"Impossible for you, Saber. Not for me."

Silence ran through the intersection. Even Sakura - who had kept her gaze riveted to Caster with an intensity Saber could feel even with her back turned - seemed to falter.

"What are you saying, Caster?"

"I am saying that there is no need to continue this pointless conflict. There are ways to obtain the Holy Grail without fighting. I, as Caster, know what the Grail is, and how it works. With your power, I can draw it out and grant our wishes, here and now."

Sakura's hands fell away, and Saber turned to look. Her Master's eyes were wide, and the conflict was plain to see.

Of course they should seek the Grail by any means possible.

But this was Caster - Caster, who had stolen Lancer's contract...and who had killed Sakura's brother.

"...Are you offering us an alliance, Caster?"

Caster smiled. "No, Saber. I'm offering _you_ an alliance."

_Isn't that what I just said?_

For a moment, Saber was puzzled.

Then, realization set in.

"And my Master?" she asked quietly.

"I have no use for her."

Sakura stiffened.

"It's a pity about the fool who summoned you. If he was still in one piece, I might have been able to make a useful tool out of him."

Saber couldn't take her eyes off of Caster...but she didn't have to, to feel Sakura begin to shake.

"But this girl? She has no talents. There is nothing worthwhile about her; she doesn't give off the energies of a proper mage, and even now, trying to support you is killing her." Caster's smile widened. "She's better off dead...and I think you know that just as well as I do."

A range of facts suddenly came together in Saber's mind.

Caster, acting as Lancer's Master.

Caster, wanting to steal Saber.

Caster, urging Sakura's death.

"Caster...you killed your own Master, didn't you?"

"And if I did?" Caster's lip curled. "What use do such as we have for such as these?"

"Saber."

Saber glanced over - and her eyes widened.

Sakura had stepped away. She was standing on her own, and her entire body was quaking violently.

But not with fear.

Her violet eyes were fixed on Caster - and the sheer, unvarnished _malice_ in her gaze made Saber shiver.

This woman had killed Shinji.

This woman had mocked Shirou's death.

The order was unspoken, and clear, and readily obeyed.

Saber launched forward, sword drawn back for a killing blow -

"Hey now, don't go forgetting about me!"

- only to be intercepted by Lancer's spear, forcing her to jump back.

"What is wrong, Saber?" If Caster was troubled by Saber's attempt on her life, she did not show it. "Do you find my offer lacking?"

"You speak with wisdom, Caster. It would be better not to fight, if it can be avoided. But I am loyal to my Master." She glanced over at Sakura, then turned back to the Servant.

"And neither of us will ever ally ourselves with _you._"

"I see," Caster murmured. Then, she smiled again. "But Saber? I'm afraid you're still misunderstanding something."

Caster raised her hand, and an orb of energy formed under her palm.

"You don't have a choice in the matter."

"Sakura, stay behind me." Saber held her invisible blade at the ready. Her eyes shifted between Lancer and Caster, trying to keep both in sight.

This was a bad situation.

Sakura couldn't move very well, and while Caster's attacks would have little, if any, effect on Saber due to her class's Magic Resistance, the same could not be said for her Master. If Saber moved, Sakura would die.

She was, in effect, pinned in place - forced to defend against not only Caster, but _Lancer_, as well, without moving her feet.

It could be worse.

It could _always_ be worse.

...but she was hard-pressed to think of how.

Lancer bared his teeth in a fierce grin, and lowered into an attack stance.

Then his head whipped around, and his eyes went wide.

He was not the only one. Saber and Caster, too - and Sakura, for that matter - all could sense the same buildup of energy.

And as with Lancer, none of them could do more than turn their heads before the attack was upon them.

Arrows.

Charged with magical energy, moving so quickly as to be little more than blue blurs in the night sky. They rained down upon all four of them, without distinction.

Saber repositioned herself to block Sakura from this new threat, and batted away any projectiles that came close. Even as she did, though, she kept a wary eye on Lancer.

Ireland's Child of Light had gone silent. He danced and darted among the bolts, the occasional spark as he used his spear to deflect an arrow the only sign of his presence.

"**Ἄργος!**"

Caster raised her hand, and a barrier appeared above her, knocking the arrows away.

The storm continued for a moment before abating - no, Saber realized, it hadn't abated; it had merely been _redirected._

All the arrows that had previously covered the intersection were now focused solely on Caster.

The sparks from the collisions practically lit up the entire intersection. Even with the increased intensity, though, Caster's shield held under the barrage. She was forced to maintain it, and could not move. But it was a stalemate, and that favored Caster...because Lancer had been left free, and was already tracing the path of the arrows with his eyes.

None of them noticed until it was too late to do anything about it.

A spike of energy - one among many, hidden in the midst of the arrows...and yet, so very, very different.

It struck the barrier with a thunderclap that shook the ground, and a burst of light that forced them all to look away.

And when the light cleared, Caster's barrier was cracked.

"What - "

And that decided it. The barrier, whole, could repel anything thrown at it. Damaged, though, and with the rain of arrows still not ceasing - with Caster having no chance to repair it -

The crack widened. Another crack appeared. Then another.

And then, the barrier shattered.

There was no chance to move, or even scream. Caster, helpless, was buried beneath a hail of bolts. Bits of flesh and cloth and blood flew out as her body was slowly torn apart before their eyes, until at last it dissipated in a metallic shimmer.

The arrows stopped, and the intersection fell silent.

Lancer snorted. "At least he's using a bow, this time."

"What's wrong, Lancer? You seem dissatisfied."

When did they appear? Even Saber couldn't say for sure - but all turned at the voice, and there, a short distance up the road leading to the Matou mansion, they stood.

The Servant Archer.

"Tohsaka...senpai..."

And with Archer, his Master.

* * *

_She's here._

_She's here._

_She's really here._

Even with the tension of three Servants all glaring at one another, Sakura had eyes only for the other human being in the intersection - for the smaller of two figures, standing side by side in near-matching red coats.

"Tohsaka-senpai..."

The older girl was not even looking in her direction, and in a way, that was a relief. After the last time they had spoken, Sakura was not sure what kind of a face she could show her.

"You look like you have something to say, Lancer." Tohsaka Rin smiled, and Sakura shivered in spite of herself.

"Girl, there aren't enough minutes in the day for everything I'd like to say to you."

"Are there enough minutes before you fade away?" Lancer didn't answer - merely smirked - and Tohsaka-senpai's grin sharpened. "So...she's still alive, after all. I thought that was too easy."

"Saber," Sakura whispered, "what does she mean?"

"What Archer destroyed just now was only a shadow of Caster," Saber murmured back, not taking her eyes off the scene. "The real Servant was never here to begin with."

Lancer barked a laugh. "I knew there was a reason I liked you! You're a sharp one, girl. It really is too bad I'm going to kill you."

Archer spoke up. "Your new Master's orders?"

Lancer gave him a sour look. "Yeah, those too. I need to take Saber alive...but she didn't say anything about _you._"

"You really think you can defeat us both at once?" Archer asked. "Without killing Saber in the process?"

Lancer grinned. "Just who the hell do you think I am?"

He started to lower into his customary attack stance - then froze.

He straightened again, and sighed in disappointment. "Unfortunately, Caster agrees with you. I'm being ordered to retreat."

"And you're going to obey?" Tohsaka-senpai seemed amused, almost. "The last time you were ordered to pull back, your Master had to drag you off with a Command Spell."

Lancer shrugged. "Different Master, different orders. Besides - getting that coward to burn a Command Spell was worth the humiliation."

"You prefer Caster to your former Master?" Now it was Archer's turn to sound amused.

"With Caster, I'll actually get to fight." Lancer smirked. "Don't get me wrong, girl. We're going to have it out, eventually. That's what Caster wants me for. But she's got something bigger in mind, first."

"Lancer - "

"Later, Saber." He gave the Servant a flat look, then chuckled and shook his head. "I'll be looking forward to working with you...I guess."

He leaped backwards, landing atop a nearby house. Then he turned, and bounded away, disappearing from sight within seconds.

Sakura turned back to the intersection - and for a moment, forgot to breathe.

Archer and his Master were both looking straight at her.

"Tohsaka..." She swallowed. "Tohsaka-senpai."

"Sakura."

Sakura forced herself to take a breath, then bowed. "Thank you for your help. If we'd had to take on Caster and Lancer by ourselves - "

"Don't thank me, Sakura. We didn't do this for you."

Sakura flinched at the blunt words. "Then why...?"

Archer answered her. "As you saw, Caster has the ability to steal the contracts of other Servants. It would have been a disaster if she'd gotten her hands on Saber, as well."

"I see."

Saber stepped away from Sakura. She widened her stance, and brought Excalibur, still sheathed in Invisible Air, up into a ready position.

"Saber?"

Archer smirked. "You're quicker on the uptake than your Master, Saber."

Sakura looked from Archer to Saber with confusion, then turned to the other Master. "Tohsaka-senpai, what - "

"Caster wants Saber, Sakura. There's only one way to make sure that she doesn't get her."

Saber finished the thought. "You intend to strike me down here, before she has another opportunity."

"That's how it is." Tohsaka-senpai flashed them a sad smile. "I really am sorry about this, you two. But the other Servants have to be stopped. I'm afraid that your Holy Grail War ends here." Her face hardened. "Archer."

The Servant stepped forward. Twin short swords appeared in his hands, one black, the other white.

"Tohsaka-senpai..."

_'Your Holy Grail War ends here.'_

That was the second time today that Tohsaka Rin had spoken those words to her.

"Tohsaka-senpai..."

Her Holy Grail War?

Really?

What had she done, anyway?

She hadn't wanted to fight. Being hurt scared her, and she didn't like hurting others. She'd given up Rider; if Senpai hadn't surrendered Saber and then gotten himself killed, she never would have gotten involved again.

Her Holy Grail War?

"Tohsaka-senpai."

Sakura hadn't done anything. She hadn't fought. She hadn't even _tried_ to fight.

She'd simply drifted along, ignoring the world around her. She'd sat idle as Tohsaka-senpai and her brother maneuvered, and even Saber - her own Servant - worked around her.

_Her_ Holy Grail War?

What kind of a Master was she?

"Don't hold this against us, Saber," Archer called out with a smirk. "It's nothing personal."

"Why would I? This is the Holy Grail War." Saber grinned in return. "We both know that the Grail can only have one owner."

"If that, even."

_The Holy Grail._

Hadn't she decided to fight for it? Didn't she have a wish - a need - that only that omnipotent artifact could grant?

Why, then, was she hesitating?

"Tohsaka-senpai."

She knew why.

She'd always known, even before she'd consciously realized it.

"Tohsaka-senpai."

There were things she wanted.

There were things she was willing to give up.

"Tohsaka-senpai!"

And there were things she was _not._

"Tohsa - "

_No._

"**NEE-SAN!**"

And Matou Sakura joined the Holy Grail War.

* * *

Saber froze.

She couldn't help it. The act was instinctual. Archer had done the same, and both now turned to look at Saber's Master in surprise.

_How could I have missed _this_?_

It had been there the entire time. Saber knew Sakura was adopted. She knew that in her birth family, Sakura had a sister. More, she knew that Sakura came from a magical family to begin with - one allied with the Matou.

Tohsaka should have been her first suspect.

A whole host of inexplicable behaviors - from Rin, as well as Sakura - suddenly made sense. Rin's strange habits. Sakura's insistent yet flimsy defenses of the other girl. Even Sakura's reckless disregard for her own safety in Rin's presence.

Everything came together in that moment, as Sakura stood alone, eyes fixed on her elder sister.

And all the color had drained from Tohsaka Rin's face.

"Sakura..." Rin swallowed hard, and tried to fix her face into a stern expression. It was ruined by the way her eyes continued to bug out in disbelief. "Sakura, if you think that just because - "

"What are you fighting for, Nee-san?"

Rin recoiled from the words as if she'd been struck.

"I'm fighting...I need the Holy Grail to bring back Senpai. What about you, Nee-san? What is your wish?"

"Sakura...Sakura, I..."

"Her wish is irrelevant."

All eyes turned to Archer.

"It is no business of yours what my Master wants from the Grail. Nor is it any business of ours what you desire." Rin's Servant smirked. "Do you think that we will somehow be overcome by the nobility of your goal, and lay down our arms? No one with such a weak resolve could ever be chosen as a Master."

Saber growled. "Archer, you - "

"No, Archer-san, I do not expect that." Sakura turned back to Rin. "Well, Nee-san? What is your wish?"

"Sakura..." Rin closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Sakura, where are you going with this?"

"I need Senpai back. The only way I can get him back is with the Holy Grail. But..." She hesitated for a moment, and looked over at Saber.

Saber frowned. "Sakura...?"

_Why does she look as if she is apologizing?_

Sakura took a breath, and turned back to Rin. "I need the Grail...but that does not mean I need to be the one who uses it."

For a moment, there was silence, as all pondered her words.

Then Saber spun around, eyes wide.

"_Sakura - !_"

Rin didn't look much better. "Sakura - what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't care who does it, as long as it gets done." Sakura's voice was steady and unwavering. "I don't know what wish you intended, Nee-san. But if you agree to resurrect Senpai instead, then Saber and I will fight for you. And when we're the only Masters left...I'll surrender my Servant's contract to you."

She would hand Saber over to Rin. It wasn't using a Command Spell to kill her...but it wasn't much better than that, either.

"Sakura, you cannot seriously expect me to agree to - "

Sakura ignored the Servant. "Well, Nee-san?"

Rin's face twisted. "Sakura...Sakura, I - "

"Now, why would she agree to something pointless like that?"

_~die~_

The new voice came seemingly out of nowhere.

_~die~_

All turned, looking to its source - and Saber couldn't contain a hiss of surprise.

"You're..."

_~die~_

The girl stood at the far end of the intersection, beaming at all four of them. She was dressed in a long, dark violet coat, with a matching hat; beneath the hat, pure white hair poured out, glittering in the moonlight.

_~die~_

Even from a distance, her identity was unmistakable.

"Pleased to meet you, Rin! My name is Ilya."

_~die~_

Rin frowned. "Ilya?"

"Ilyasviel...von Einzbern."

_~die~_

Saber could feel the others' eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that.

Ilya hadn't changed.

_~die~_

How was that possible? It had been ten years; the girl Saber had watched play with Kiritsugu should have grown into a woman like her mother, by now.

_~die~_

How could Ilyasviel von Einzbern still be a child?

_~die~_

Ilya blinked. "That's right. But how did you know that?"

**~die~**

Saber's mind raced. What was going on here? Was that really Ilya? Why hadn't she changed?

**~die~**

And why was she here?

Rin frowned. "You're the Einzberns' representative in this War, I take it?"

Saber shook her head. That was wrong; Ilya could no more be a Master than Irisviel could have been. That wasn't

**~die~**

her function. She was a homunculus. So where was the Master -

"That's right."

Saber's eyes widened in shock.

_WHAT?_

"And?" Rin's eyes narrowed. "Why is Sakura's offer pointless?"

**~DIE~**

Ilya smiled. "Isn't that obvious?"

And in the next instant, the air changed.

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~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~  
~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ ~DIE~ **

It was heavy, and hard to breathe. Rin fell back a step, and Saber felt Sakura drop to her knees behind her. Saber herself was having a hard time standing her ground, and she could see Archer having similar difficulty.

All because Ilyasviel von Einzbern's Servant had materialized.

A massive, imposing figure, towering over them all. His skin was the color of lead; he was clad in nothing but a plated loin cloth, and a huge scar, like a sunburst, covered his chest. His eyes glowed an angry red as he glowered down on them...yet that was the least of it. His sheer _presence_ was almost overwhelming. It was not bloodlust, or killing intent, or anything so complex.

It was just pure, mindless, elemental violence.

There was no question what Servant this was.

"Berserker," Rin breathed.

"Correct!" Ilya clapped her hands in delight. "You had the right idea, Rin. We can't let Caster get her hands on Saber. You just didn't take it far enough."

Her eyes narrowed, and her smile turned cold.

"Berserker...kill them all."

**" - ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| - !"**

"Sakura, stay back!"

Saber charged ahead to meet the giant. As she did, she saw a flurry of projectiles slam into Berserker's side, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Rin sprinting over to where her Master was.

Saber smiled thinly.

Agreement or not, they had a truce now.

* * *

**" - ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| - !"**

Rin dove for cover with an undignified squawk as Berserker swung his weapon again. Next to her, Sakura clapped her hands over her ears, and shrank away with a pained wince.

It was hard for Rin to blame her. With all the damage Berserker was doing, it was a wonder that their Servants were still alive.

Archer maintained his distance, constantly peppering Berserker with projectiles. But they might as well have had suction cups on the end, for all the good they did. (That might actually have been better - at least then, they wouldn't just bounce off of him like they were now!) Ilya didn't even have to say anything; the lead-skinned giant was ignoring Rin's Servant entirely.

Rin had tried to add her own covering fire...once. Her magic had even less effect on Berserker than Archer's arrows, so she saved her strength after that.

Saber, meanwhile, was unable to mount even the slightest offense. There was no opportunity for a counter attack; she could do nothing, save block each lethal swing of Berserker's nameless hunk of rock (and when Rin realized _that_ little tidbit, she had just about ripped the twin tails right off her head - didn't _anyone_ in this damned War use their Noble Phantasms to fight?) and even that could not be maintained much longer. Saber's defenses were weakening; even blocking, she was being mercilessly battered, and her reflexes were slowing. It was only a matter of time before -

Rin chanced a glance up, cursed, and ducked again as what was left of a car flew overhead.

As poorly as Saber was doing, she was at least faring better than their surroundings.

Berserker had yet to hit anything, aside from Saber's invisible blade...but the intersection looked like a bomb had gone off, anyway. The sheer force of his swings, even blunted and deflected by Saber, tore deep gouges in the concrete. Electric poles were ripped from their moorings, leaving fresh craters where -

Wait.

_That damage - _

Rin's eyes widened, then darted to Sakura - and then, she did a double-take.

Sakura was drenched in sweat. Her face was red, and she was panting for breath. Rin saw Saber block another attack out of the corner of her eye; as she did, Sakura winced in pain.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Nee-san," Sakura said, and Rin hid a wince of her own.

_She's going to keep calling me that, isn't she?_

The younger girl continued after pausing for breath. "This is nothing compared to training, and - _aah!_"

Sakura clutched at her chest, and her eyes clenched shut in agony.

"Sakura!"

**" - ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| - !"**

Rin snapped back to the battle, and her eyes widened in alarm.

Saber had been blown away.

The Servant tumbled end over end, skidding across the ground, kicking up a trail of dust in her wake. Her momentum did not stop until she crashed into a nearby wall, which then fell over on top of her.

"Crap, Saber - !"

The remnants of the wall shifted after a few seconds, and Saber pushed her way free. She was visibly favoring one shoulder, but to Rin's surprise, seemed unhurt otherwise.

_That should have taken a chunk out of her side. How did she - _

Saber stepped forward to resume the battle. But as she did, she suddenly stumbled, and fell to one knee, barely bracing herself with her own unseen sword.

And at the same time, Sakura gave a sharp cry.

"Sakura!"

Rin looked back and forth between the Master and Servant in bewilderment.

_What's going on here?_

Sakura was on her knees, arms wrapped around herself, practically vibrating with pain. Whatever it was, it was affecting Saber, as well, but that didn't make any sense. How could...!

_Oh crap. Don't tell me - _

Fever. Sudden weakness. An unsteady flow of magical energy to her Servant, the kind she would expect from the Master of Berserker, not Saber.

Sakura was on the verge of magical exhaustion.

A voice told Rin that, present circumstances aside, this was a good thing. Sakura would self-destruct in short order without Rin having to so much as lift a finger, and then there would be one less Master running around creating havoc.

It was only a small voice, though. And it was almost completely overwhelmed by her anger.

_What the hell is Zouken_ thinking_?_

Sakura was supposed to be the Matou heir - that was why their father had given her away in the first place. But the girl huddled before her was no heir. She emitted no residual energy to begin with, and what little she had was swiftly draining away before Rin's eyes.

_How dare he?_

_**How dare he?**_

How could that withered old worm have squandered her sister like this?

Bad enough what he'd done with her as a mage; to then send her into the Holy Grail War, against the likes of Berserker -

Wait.

Why hadn't Berserker attacked them yet?

There was only one possible answer. Yet even as Rin turned to look, she felt a fresh burst of surprise.

"Archer..."

Her Servant stood in front of Saber, twin swords in hand. And Berserker stood before him, waiting.

Rin's eyes narrowed suddenly. She'd felt a tiny pulse in her bond just now - Archer was doing something, but what...?

Ilya scowled. "Why are you protecting her? She's all but dead now - besides, you were going to kill her yourself only a few minutes ago!"

Archer smirked. "Your Servant was too strong for your own good. I would rather team up with Saber to fight him than take my chances after she was dead. Besides - you know just as well as I do that she'll only need a moment." He glanced over his shoulder at the other Servant. "Saber threw herself back before Berserker's last swing could connect; she will be ready to fight again shortly."

Ilya's scowl grew deeper. "You really think it will matter? Your arrows couldn't even scratch Berserker's skin; even with Saber, you'll do nothing but die screaming!"

"Perhaps." Archer shrugged. "But fighting the Thunder God's offspring, I'll take whatever help I can get."

Ilya froze.

Berserker froze.

Saber struggled to her feet, and came to stand beside Archer.

"Archer...you're saying..."

"I don't know what the Einzberns were thinking, but that axe is carved out of the catalyst they used to summon him. It was originally part of a column from a temple dedicated to the demigod Hercules." Archer's mouth quirked. "That doesn't leave much doubt as to his identity."

By now, everyone was staring at him - even Sakura and Rin.

Ilya was the first to find her voice.

"You - you - _how do you even know that?_"

Archer shrugged. "How, indeed?"

And Rin's mind was racing.

_Structural Analysis. That's what he was doing just now - he was using _Structural Analysis _on Berserker's axe._

She had to press her lips together to suppress a very inappropriate giggle.

_'Rin, a hero is someone who excels in both magic and weaponry. It's fine if you want to think that an Archer can only use bows, but please don't take such an optimistic view of the other Servants.'_

That smug little...! He was a _mage_. He'd all but said it flat out, right at the beginning, and Rin had missed it!

More than that, though -

_He got that thing's_ history _with that spell? I've never heard of a mage being able to do that!_

Ilya glared at them all, fists clenched at her sides.

Then she threw back her head, and began to laugh.

Archer blinked. "What...?"

"I have a better opinion of you now, Rin," Ilya called gaily. "Your Servant's not as useless as I thought he was. That makes this all the more worthwhile."

She smiled, then called out once again in a sing-song voice.

"Berserker! Kill them all!"

The giant obediently advanced, brandishing his weapon. Saber and Archer went to meet him...but Rin barely paid them any attention. Because, Archer's abilities aside -

Hercules.

Berserker was _Hercules._

Berserker was supposed to be a class for weaker Heroic Spirits. They traded away their sanity in exchange for added power, which would in turn destroy their Masters from the inside out.

Now, such a boost had been given to _Hercules?_

Rin looked across the intersection at Ilya - really looked - and what little color was left drained from her face.

She could see the Command Spells, now - massive, jagged streaks covering the small girl's entire body. They were unnatural; that much was apparent at a glance. But that was not important. All that mattered were the results.

And the results were dreadful.

_Complete control._

The highest rank of Heroic Spirit, gifted with unparalleled power and renown - put on class-induced steroids - and the Master had perfect control over him.

Crashes echoed through the intersection as Archer and Saber flew through the air. They immediately resumed their attack...but Rin realized that it would make no difference.

They were well and truly screwed.

* * *

**" - ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| - !"**

Sakura watched with horror as Saber went flying back again. Archer attacked from a different angle before the giant could pursue, but that only served as a momentary distraction - enough for Saber to re-engage, but not enough to do anything but restart the cycle.

Next to her, her sister looked on with her mouth set in a grim line. She had to understand what was going on even better than Sakura did.

They were losing.

There hadn't been another stutter in the power feeding to Saber, but that didn't mean that the Servant was operating at full strength. Sakura could feel her energy, dangerously low to begin with, being split between Saber and Rider, with plainly obvious results - Saber was slower, and weaker, and worst of all, she was only now adjusting to the change.

The Servant had not been in anything resembling combat since Rider had returned to Sakura's control. She'd survived so far, but only just barely; her instincts, honed over a decade of war, were her single greatest asset in battle, and she was being forced to judge on the fly - against _Berserker!_ - which of those instincts she could still safely obey with her reduced capacities.

Sakura had considered calling in Rider, but decided against it. She didn't know how strong Rider had been under Shinji, but now, her first Servant would be just as weakened as Saber; she would serve little use unless they needed to flee.

It still might come to that; she wasn't sure it would have helped in this fight if Rider was at full power.

She wasn't sure it would have helped if _Saber_ was at full power, either.

Even in a best-case scenario - even if they fled here - she didn't see anything they could ultimately do, save die. It couldn't be helped; their opponent was a man with no weaknesses. Even in his legend, it took the cursed blood of a dying and vengeful centaur - mixed with the deadly poison from the hero's own arrows - to finally kill Hercules. The centaurs were long extinct, and even if they could have somehow taken his weapon away, there was no sign of the legendary bow and arrows - the axe was the only weapon on the giant's person. For them, defeating Berserker was -

Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

"Sakura?"

"Berserker..."

Sakura looked again at the battle - at Saber and Archer engaging the giant, and at the girl standing beyond.

"Sakura, what is it?"

Sakura ignored her sister's question.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

How could she not have seen it before?

It wasn't that Berserker was Hercules.

It was that Hercules was _Berserker._

And every Berserker, without exception, no matter how powerful, had one weakness in common:

_The Master._

Vast quantities of magical energy were required to sustain the mad Servant. If the Master's energy ran out, she would lose control, and destroy herself trying to support him.

And wasn't stealing magical energy her family's specialty?

It was so obvious. She should have realized it as soon as she knew the Servant's class.

In this Holy Grail War, Matou Sakura was Ilyasviel von Einzbern's natural enemy.

"Sakura? Wait, Sakura - !"

Sakura looked down at the hand holding her by the wrist - When had she stood up? - and forced a smile.

"It's all right, Nee-san." She managed to hold onto her smile even as her sister once again flinched at the address. "I told you we'd fight for you, didn't I?"

She didn't look to see Rin's reaction to that. She shook herself free, and stepped away from their shelter.

She glanced over at the battle, and confirmed that the Servants were a safe distance away. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She knew how to do this. She had never done it before, but the knowledge had long been engraved on her body.

She could feel the worms within her. They were feeding on her reserves, which were already dangerously low.

Gathering the energy to cast a spell was impossible...but that was not her family's style to begin with.

Hunger.

_Feed._

It took only a thought.

Matou Sakura loosed the restraints on the worms within her, and released them into the outside world.

* * *

Twenty-five feet away, a warning shout died in Saber's throat as the air around her Master suddenly began to glow an angry red.

* * *

_She could feel the difference almost immediately. The worms did not materialize as worms; there was no need for that. They surrounded her in an aura of buzzing, just under the audible range of most humans._

_Her body temperature jumped ten degrees in a fraction of a second. She was hot, and she was hungry._

_She needed to feed - _now.

* * *

"What in the - "

Rin flinched back from the dark crimson haze that had erupted from her sister. She could _feel_ the energy flowing around her, and she was at a loss to explain how Sakura was doing it.

The Matou family's water element was incompatible with Sakura's "Imaginary Numbers." Adapting her to it should have crippled her potential as a mage, and even in the seconds before she stood up, Rin hadn't felt any magical energy flowing through the younger girl's Magic Circuits.

Sakura should have been running on empty.

_So where the hell is the energy for this coming from?_

This was as strong as anything Rin herself could have put out...if she used all forty of her Magic Circuits to their full capacity, and the sub-circuits provided by the Tohsaka Magic Crest besides.

But Sakura didn't have that, so -

Rin's eyes widened.

"The Matou Crest..."

That had to be it. This couldn't be coming from Sakura herself, and given that, there was only one answer.

Matou Zouken had already passed on his Crest to Sakura, and -

Sakura's eyes snapped open, and Rin froze in place as her sister fixed her with an empty violet gaze.

* * *

_She looked down at the dark-haired girl. The girl was incredibly rich in energy. So tempting..._

_But no._

_That one was not for feeding. She couldn't remember why, but she could remember that much._

_It was getting harder to recall, though. The heat within her was growing at a rapid pace; she needed to find something she could feed from, and soon, before - _

**There.**

_The tiny figure with white hair streaming down its back. Even as it came into sight, she remembered._

_This was her prey._

_This was the one who would die now._

* * *

Ilya frowned as the Makiri worm stopped, gaze fixed on her.

Zouken's line had all but died out in this foreign land. The Makiri had drawn Berserker's card in the previous War, not out of any particular affinity with the class, but simply because without Mad Enhancement, their Servant would not have stood a chance.

If the Einzberns hadn't beaten them to the punch, they would probably have done the same thing in this War, as well.

That Saber had later fallen into their hands did not change the fact that their Master was weak. If anything, the way Berserker was throwing the Servant of the Sword around now was proof of that - Ilya had recognized this Saber on sight (though she was at a loss as to how Saber had recognized _her_) and there was no way she would have been this weak under Kiritsugu.

She'd still have lost, but that was because Berserker was strong...and that was beside the point, anyway. The point being:

Just what was the Makiri Master _doing?_

At that moment, almost as if in response, the red haze around the other girl suddenly expanded. It rose up high into the air, towering above the walls and houses, roiling with barely channeled need.

Ilya's eyes widened.

_Wait. That's - _

Like a cresting wave, the energy swirled and coalesced above the Makiri Master. The very edge of it took shape and sharpened, like the point of a spear.

A spear aimed squarely at Ilya.

* * *

_The prey was shouting something, but that didn't matter. It was too slow, and too late._

_She was hungry._

_The prey would die now._

_With a loud cry, she released the spear._

_Freed of the last of its restraints, it rocketed toward the chosen target. In the next half-second, it would pierce her, absorb her, take away her life - _

_And then, the gray giant was there._

_Suddenly, impossibly, it stood in front of her prey. It faced the spear with a deafening bellow, and took her attack head-on._

_The spear struck the giant in the abdomen - _

_And shattered._

_She stared blankly at the giant._

_What had happened?_

_The spear should have pierced. It should have fed. Even if it was not her intended target, the giant still should have been drained of its energy until it could no longer survive._

_But it had not._

_The spear had been repelled - not merely repelled, but_ rejected. _It had been destroyed without returning anything to her._

_And the worms were still hungry._

_Even as she realized what was about to happen, they turned on her._

_Hot._

_Cold._

_**Too hot.**_

_**Too cold.**_

_She needed food. She needed water. She needed energy. She needed, and needed, and needed, and needed, and needed, and needed - but she had nothing left to give._

_Matou Sakura had time for one pained cry before the heat overtook her, and she lost consciousness._

* * *

Saber was moving even before the spear struck Berserker.

She'd known as soon as she saw him move that the spell would fail. Invisible Air, Archer's swords and arrows, and Rin's magic had all failed to so much as scratch him. Given that, it was a certainty that Sakura's magic would fail, as well.

And Sakura couldn't afford to have her magic fail.

Sakura couldn't afford to use magic to begin with.

So Saber was moving right away to protect her Master. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rin doing the same.

But they were still not fast enough. Berserker was already drawing back for a killing blow, with Sakura defenseless before him. They weren't going to reach him in time -

Berserker swung.

But as he did, a stream of arrows plowed into the blade. It was not enough to damage it, or even stop it...but it _was_ enough to deflect it. It didn't reach Sakura, and then Saber and Archer were both there, standing guard over her.

"My thanks, Archer."

Rin's Servant shrugged. "It would be disadvantageous if you were to disappear right now."

Rin reached them, and dropped to her knees by Sakura.

"Sakura? Sakura!"

There was no response.

"This is bad." Rin looked up. "Saber, we need to get her out of here. Her Magic Circuits are...I've never seen anything like this."

"We are in agreement. Unfortunately..." She looked over at Berserker and Ilya.

Rin followed her gaze and grimaced. "Right. She's not going to let us go, is she?"

There was only one option. Saber didn't like it, but she didn't have a choice.

"Rin. The road behind us leads to Shirou's home. I will hold Berserker here; please take Sakura, and escape."

Rin breathed in sharply. "Saber, you - that's suicide! You're in no condition to fight him, not with Sakura - "

"We do not have a choice. If we allow Berserker to follow us, the collateral damage will be catastrophic." Rin's face paled, and Saber gave her a grim smile. "Go. I will follow as I am able."

"Saber, if you stay here, he'll kill you!"

"Then I will die. In that eventuality, I will entrust Sakura's safety to you."

"To _me_ - but Saber - "

"There is no need for that, Saber. I will stay."

Rin and Saber both turned in surprise.

"Archer?"

"Archer, you - "

"Do not misunderstand me, Saber. Independent action is the specialty of the Archer class." Archer did not take his eyes off of Berserker. "It is simply the case that I am the best suited to cover a retreat."

"In a normal case, perhaps. But Archer - "

"And there is something else to consider, as well, Saber. Neither of us has used our Noble Phantasms as of yet."

"Our - " Saber's eyes widened.

"I doubt you are in any condition to use yours, with your Master in the state she's in. Rin's departure, on the other hand, would free me to use mine without worry."

"Archer, you..."

Saber well understood the need to worry about her surroundings. Excalibur was an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm, capable of mass destruction if used indiscriminately.

Archer had a Noble Phantasm like that, as well?

_'It's more like...a bomb.'_

He did. Rin had said as much.

"Very well, Archer. You have my word as a knight that Rin will come to no harm until you rejoin us."

Archer snorted, but did not look back.

He stepped forward as Saber picked up Sakura, and sprinted for Shirou's house with Rin hot on her heels.

* * *

Ilya giggled as Rin and Saber fled with the Makiri Master.

There was no need to stop them. There were only so many places they could go on that road; she could hunt them down at her leisure afterward.

Instead, she looked at the Servant remaining - unknown, garbed in red, his hands empty - and laughed.

"What's this? You think you can beat my Hercules all by yourself?"

Archer shook his head. "I already said that I couldn't, did I not? No, I simply wanted to ask you a question."

"A question?"

"Yes." Archer smirked. "I wanted to ask you just how long you'd been hiding and watching that farce Saber and her Master were putting on."

"How long I - " The question caught her off guard. She threw back her head and laughed. "I like you, Archer! I have an even better opinion of Rin now for summoning you."

"So - from the beginning, then."

Ilya grinned. "Correct."

"You were going to wait until the conflict was over, then prey on the weakened survivors. That is why you showed yourself when it appeared that Rin and Saber's Master were going to make a truce." He frowned. "But then...why did you let Lancer escape unhindered?"

Ilya's grin grew larger. It wasn't a battle, but this was fun! "What do _you_ think?"

"What do I think, hmm?" Archer's eyes narrowed. "I think that none of Hercules' legends mentioned a scar on his chest like that."

Ilya's eyes widened.

"I see I'm on the right track. Well, then. For a scar like that to remain on a demigod's flesh, the weapon would have to be cursed...Gae Bolg? But if he hit him with that, Berserker should have been..."

He closed his eyes and groaned.

"The Twelve Labors? That's just unfair."

Ilya's breath stopped in her throat.

The God Hand. He'd figured out the _God Hand,_ from nothing more than her Servant's identity - and that, too, he'd figured out on his own - from nothing more than Berkserker's _axe_ -

"Who are you?" Ilya breathed. "What kind of a Servant are you? How in the world can you know things like that?"

"Isn't that obvious? I'm the Servant summoned by Tohsaka Rin." Archer smirked. "How could I _not?_"

"Obvious...yeah, it is, isn't it?" Ilya smiled in spite of herself. "It's a shame you're going to die here. You're the most interesting Servant I've seen."

Archer smiled back. "I'll accept that in the spirit it's given." And in the next instant, a bow and arrow formed in his hands...drawn and aimed at Berserker.

"What are you doing? Didn't I already tell you that you can't hurt Berserker?"

"You did." Archer nodded. "But, Ilya...when did I say that I disagreed?"

She blinked. "'Ilya'...?"

Archer shifted his aim, and released the bowstring.

The arrow shot high into the sky - then burst into light.

Ilya covered her face with her arms, and squinted through the light. "A flare? What's that supposed to - "

Then she heard it.

Sirens, growing louder by the second.

She looked back at Archer, and Archer grinned.

"It's nice to face a proper Master, for a change. That means I know the rules you'll be operating under."

"Archer, you - "

"The Holy Grail War is to be fought in secrecy, away from prying eyes. That is why we fight under the cover of darkness, and why we prioritize the avoidance and elimination of witnesses over defeating our opponents.

"You made a lot of noise, earlier...and thanks to that flare, the authorities now have a location." Archer smirked. "I don't think there will be any more fighting, tonight."

He dematerialized without another word.

Ilya stared at the spot where he'd been in disbelief.

He'd delayed her with his questions. He'd thrown her off-guard with his insights. And then, he'd escaped and prevented her pursuit without so much as raising a finger against her.

She had been completely and thoroughly manipulated.

"Just who is he...?"

She couldn't help but laugh.

"I've changed my mind, Rin! I think I'll save your Servant for last."

Rider was dying. Saber, Archer, and Lancer had retreated. Assassin was bound to Ryudou, and Caster was hidden safely behind him.

There was no one left to fight.

"Berserker, let's go home."

* * *

The Servant Archer had experienced a great deal in the course of his existence.

He had died on multiple occasions. He had been saved, had been adopted, had been entrusted with an ideal that should never have been his.

He had studied magecraft, with all - both positive and negative - that that entailed.

He had killed many people, and saved many more. He had been betrayed, and eventually executed, and this time, he stayed dead.

Such were his experiences in life. All told, though, they were only a small fraction of the overall total.

As a Heroic Spirit, Archer's true self rested on the Throne of Heroes. Those souls who came to reside there were frozen in a kind of stasis, in order to avoid paradox - when their presence was warranted, copies of them were sent out instead - but this did not mean that they were incapable of learning further.

The Throne was located in the realm of Akasha, the Origin. All knowledge was there, for those who chose to partake of it...including the knowledge of what a Heroic Spirit's copies had been up to in the world.

Archer was one of those who had accessed those records.

The records were imperfect. There was no order, no sense of time; it was like a library where all the books had been pulled off the shelves and dumped in one huge pile. Moreover, they were records, and not memories - mere reports of what his copies had done, that said nothing of what Archer himself had experienced.

In his hellish existence, that was perhaps the one mercy left to him.

There were records of purges, of merciless and indiscriminate slaughters on an industrial scale. These were by far the vast majority of the records, as befit his status as a Counter Guardian. Fewer, but still numerous, were the cases where Archer's particular skills were put to use in wiping out a threat.

And then, there were the Holy Grail Wars.

The Throne of Heroes existed outside of space and time. It drew from all timelines, and was drawn upon by all timelines in turn. In some of those timelines, the Holy Grail War was held.

And in some of those Holy Grail Wars, Archer was summoned as a Servant.

They were exceedingly few in number, compared to the other records. Estimating them at a millionth of a percent of the total would be too generous by at least a magnitude of six.

Yet, they did exist. And since they were Archer's last hope, he pored over those few records with every bit of attention he could muster.

As he was a Counter Guardian, there was only one catalyst that could reliably summon him, and as a consequence, he was almost always the Servant of Tohsaka Rin.

(He preferred not to think about those few timelines where someone else had used that same catalyst to summon him...and of the even rarer scenarios where _another_ catalyst had managed to draw him out, the less said, the better.)

Those Wars had a variety of results. In some, Rin died outside of his presence, and he faded away with his goals left unmet. In others, he died at the hand of another Servant - most often Berserker, but sometimes Saber, as well.

On a couple of occasions, Emiya Shirou had somehow managed to strike him down, and in one particularly ridiculous timeline, he'd actually donated his arm to keep the boy alive. (It was most unfortunate that all he had was an impersonal report, because he would have given a great deal to know just what the hell that particular iteration of himself had been thinking.)

He'd seen many different Wars, and many different courses of events.

As he entered the home of Emiya Shirou, though, he realized that this was a first.

He couldn't recall ever seeing a record of his Master and Saber screaming at one another at the top of their lungs.

"She's my sister, damn it!"

"And?"

"And? _And?_" Rin's face flushed an ugly red. "I just _told you - _"

"She is no longer your sister," Saber snapped back. "You know full well that she was given to another family. Moreover, she is a Master - one whose life you have threatened twice this very day!"

"I didn't threaten her life!"

Saber's eyes narrowed.

"What? I didn't! All she had to do was give up her Command Spells, and - "

"She would have died first, and you know it."

_Well. This is unpleasant._

Archer materialized in the entryway. "Ladies."

Rin barely gave him a glance before she turned back to Saber. Saber didn't even give him that much (but then, she'd have known he was there even before he took form, so that wasn't a surprise).

Rin opened her mouth to retort, but Saber talked over her. "Furthermore, a large portion of the state she is now in is your fault."

"_My_ fault?"

"Yes, yours!" Saber's face was turning red now, as well, which was actually a relief - with the cold fury she'd been in before, she was probably a heartbeat from calling her armor. "What in God's name possessed you to approach her like that, Rin? You have no idea of the state she was in when we left the school! Between you and Shinji, she's practically - "

"All right, all right! I get the picture." Rin closed her eyes and took a breath. "I'm not going to apologize for what I did. Sakura was an enemy before. But she won't be an enemy again."

"You intend to accept her offer?"

She nodded, and Saber scowled. "Rin, about that - "

"We'll work out the details later. Assuming you and Archer both survive, there may be some way to split the Grail. And if not..." Rin shrugged.

"...I suppose that is the best I can hope for at the moment."

"Right. So, Saber, now that we've finally established that you can trust me - " Rin leaned in close. "Sakura. _What's wrong with her?_"

Saber hesitated, then looked down. "I do not know all the details myself," she said. "But from what I can understand, it is the Matou's Magic Crest that is responsible for her state."

"What do you mean?"

"The Crest consumes Sakura's magical energy. She cannot survive without regular infusions from an outside source."

"Regular - " Rin's eyes widened, and Archer felt his own expression harden.

There were very few ways to take magical energy from another person...and most of those were fatal to the donor.

"Saber, if she's a heretic, I can't let her - "

"She has not killed anyone, to the best of my knowledge." Saber frowned. "Sakura hates fighting. Her earlier efforts against Berserker's Master would seem to be the closest she has ever come to using her powers in such a fashion."

"I see...so that earlier really was the Crest...but - " Rin inhaled sharply. "But that spell failed, and then - oh crap."

"Precisely."

"We have to do something, then." Rin took a breath. "How has she been taking energy?"

"I cannot speak with any certainty of her practice prior to the Grail War." Saber's face reddened. "In more recent times, I have been sharing my energy with her."

Rin's face reddened as well - there were only a handful of ways to take magical energy short of death, and most of those involved life's other great passion - and Archer very carefully suppressed a smirk.

Then he caught the look _Saber_ was giving him, and realized he hadn't concealed his mirth as effectively as he'd thought.

"Right," Rin said with forced haste. "The problem with that is that you were just feeding her back her own energy, right?"

Saber nodded.

"But now there isn't enough energy left to do it that way." Rin frowned. "That spell backfiring really did a number on her, didn't it? We have to get her more energy, somehow - there's no way around it. But how...?"

"Only one solution comes to mind, Rin."

"Really?" Rin blinked. "What - wait. _Me?_"

And there was that entertaining blush again.

"She needs magical energy, and you are the only other mage to whom we have access." Saber scowled. "You sound reluctant."

"It's not that I'm reluctant - it's that I can't do it!"

"I fail to see any practical barriers."

"No, you don't understand! It's not about getting it done" - and wonder of wonders, Archer almost believed her - "it's about what happens afterward!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...look, if I were a man, that would be one thing. I could just - well, you know - and be done with it. But with two girls, doing this would mean making a contract. I wouldn't be able to turn it off later on."

"Again, I fail to see - "

"Saber. The Magic Crest is draining Sakura dry, right?"

Saber nodded again.

"Do you really want to give it a free pipeline to _me_, too?"

Saber froze.

"That...is a good point."

"Right. And even if that weren't an issue..." She trailed off into a quiet mumble.

"Rin?"

"I said that she's...well, I mean..."

Saber didn't say a word - just stood there and stared, as Rin grew more and more flustered.

"Oh, for the love of - SHE'S MY SISTER, DAMN IT!"

Archer snickered.

_Rin, Rin, Rin...and you were doing so well, too._

Saber fell back a step under the force of the shout. "Rin - "

"Look, I don't know what kind of kinky stuff you and Morgan le Fay got up to way back when, but in this day and age - "

"Hey! That is a base slander!" Saber snapped, eyes wide. "I never - that is, Morgan didn't - well, not to my knowledge, but - I mean, it was all _Merlin's_ fault, and - "

She cut herself off, face flaming.

A few seconds later, her eyes snapped back to Rin.

"Wait, how do you even know about that? I haven't told anyone but Sakura my name!"

"You were hiding your sword," Rin answered in a tired voice. "If you're hiding something, then you have something to hide. We worked it out from there." She shook her head. "Anyway, the point stands. I can't do it!"

"Well, SOMEONE has to - "

She stopped in mid-word, and her eyes went wide.

Rin looked at Saber. Saber looked at Rin.

Then they both turned and looked at him.

Archer blinked.

"What?"

* * *

_It was hot._

_She was surrounded by heat. It washed over her, suffusing her with scalding warmth; she sweated in turn, and was bathed in what she expelled._

_It weighed on her without mercy. She could feel her clothing and the covers and the air itself sticking to her body, dragging it down, threatening to pull the very skin off her bones._

_How long had she been like this? She couldn't tell. Her head and stomach and breasts and fingers and ears and toes and nose and teeth all ached; it hurt to move, it hurt to stay still, it hurt to breathe._

_She couldn't remember where she was. She couldn't remember what she had been doing. She couldn't remember anything._

_Was she always like this?_

_Maybe that was it. Maybe she had always been like this, and would always be like this._

_Maybe there was nothing else._

_Then a chill hand came to rest on her fevered brow._

_It was not cold. It was hard and searing, like molten steel - yet it was cool and refreshing, all the same._

_She suddenly realized - she had eyes, and they were shut._

_So shouldn't she open them?_

_Her vision was blurry. She could see that there was someone leaning over her, but she couldn't see who. She couldn't make out any features. But even so, she felt like she should know - _

_Ah. Of course._

_"Senpai?"_

_The hand stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, and a voice answered, distant and scratchy and muffled._

_"I'm here."_

_"Senpai..." She smiled. "That's good. I thought you'd gone somewhere..."_

_Something was off, but she was too hot to think clearly at the moment. He was there, and he was cool, and he was beginning to take off her clothes, and it felt good, but shouldn't he not be doing that?_

_"Senpai?"_

_"It's all right. Leave everything to me."_

_She whimpered happily as he continued._

_The heat was growing, but he was there, and she was reaching for him, and he was accepting her, and he was warm and solid and heavy and he _fit _right there, where she needed him most._

_She drew him into herself, and he came willingly, filling her to overflowing where she had been empty._

_And for the first time in many months, Matou Sakura was at peace._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


	14. Feb 7: ReOrientation

**PRELIMINARIES:** This will be a little longer than usual, so please bear with me.

None of this belongs to me. Fate/stay night, and all characters, settings, etc. associated with it, are the property of Type-Moon. Type-Moon is not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with the creation of this story (a fact for which, I suspect, they would be profoundly grateful). I have made liberal usage of their characters and settings in this story; this was done without their knowledge or permission, and is technically an infringement of Type-Moon's copyright. As this story is, at the most pragmatic level, free promotion of the Fate franchise, it is hoped that they will regard this story (if at all) with a benign ignorance.

If you paid a wooden nickel for this story, not only have you been drastically overcharged, but whoever charged you has done so illegally, and I disavow any association with said individual(s).

It should be noted once again that as far as terminology goes, I am relying primarily on mirror moon's translation of the game (e.g, _majutsu/mahou_ as _magic/sorcery_) with the official release of the anime as a secondary source.

All feedback is welcome, up to and including line-by-line critiques (provided they fit in my mailbox).

I owe my prereaders, Shack, Kami, and Elf, both my heartfelt thanks for their work on this chapter, and my deepest apologies for nearly giving them all heart attacks when this popped up after so long.

And, on that note, a few words to all of you, as well.

The last chapter of _The World Without_ was released on May 23, 2012. As I write this, it is the evening of August 4, 2013.

Needless to say, things have not gone according to plan.

Some delays on this chapter were inevitable. For research purposes, I needed to track down and decipher an untranslated portion of Realta Nua, and in getting the events of this chapter straight, I ended up having to completely outline both this chapter and the next one at the same time (and then go back and start over from scratch, when I realized that I needed to switch the positions of two characters to make everything fit).

While I was dealing with that, the situation at my workplace went into a nosedive, and it was late autumn before I could come up for air. At that point, when I began writing again, I was projecting having this chapter out by the end of November.

Then, by the end of December.

Then, by February.

Then, I threw my hands up in the air and stopped making predictions.

I have no excuse for the extra 9 months or so that this chapter took me, and can only apologize for the delay.

(The subject matter of this chapter probably won't help matters, either. This was always intended to be a "down-time" chapter after the events of the past three, but it ended up being even less eventful than I'd thought it would be - so I also apologize for this being all you get, after waiting for so long. There are two battles slated for next chapter, so things should pick up again quickly...and I mean that in _both_ senses of the word.)

And that brings me to my final point. During the long delay, a number of people in different places have asked or speculated about the status of this story. I tried to answer these queries and provide updates when I managed to run across them before too much time had passed. I'm sure I didn't catch them all, though, and that made me realize that I have failed to make something clear in the past.

I maintain a LiveJournal, whose address can be found in my FFN profile. That is where I post progress updates, among other things, when I have them (and do my best despairing Don Music impressions, when I don't). If you have a question about the status of this story (or _Leap of Faith_, for that matter - believe it or not, that fic's not dead, either) that's the place to go. Feel free to ask - you _will_ get an answer, I promise. (It may not be much more than an extended string of expletives...but that, too, is an answer.)

And now that that's out of the way - sit back and either enjoy the ride, or (more likely) enjoy thinking of what you'll do to me at the end of it...

* * *

_Red._

_Everything was red._

_The townscape was drenched in it; everything her hands and feet came into contact with made the same squelching sound._

_It seemed familiar, somehow, but she couldn't figure out why._

_She advanced along the asphalt sidewalk. She felt sluggish and heavy; her head drooped, step by step, and her eyes affixed themselves to her feet without her realizing it. When she raised her head and looked around, the surfaces of all the buildings were dyed vermilion. The walls looked like gigantic nails, stabbing out of the sky into the surface._

-flicker-

"I won't let you escape."

_Who'd said that?_

_She looked around, but there was no one in sight - only her, and the buildings._

_And the red sun, glaring down at her like an evil eye._

_It hurt. The red hue overwhelmed her eyes and made her dizzy. But something told her not to rest. Not here, not now._

_Resting was dangerous._

-flicker-

_It was too quiet. She was downtown, but there was no one around. The buildings were empty, the streets were deserted, and there were no cars or buses in sight._

_No one there. No sign that anyone had ever _been _there._

_What was going on, here? Had there been some kind of large-scale evacuation that only she had failed to notice?_

_Enough of this. She turned to go home - _

-flicker-

_'But isn't she waiting?'_

-flicker-

_She caught a movement in the corner of her eye. She looked over, and her eyes widened._

_Wasn't that Tohsaka?_

_It was. Even from this distance, she could tell._

_"Hey, Tohsaka!"_

_But Tohsaka ignored her. She fluttered her hair, so long it touched the surface, and walked away._

-flicker-

_She was wearing her school uniform. Didn't that mean she was going to the school?_

_She ran after her. Tohsaka didn't notice - but the distance between them didn't shrink at all. Even though Tohsaka was walking and she was running, Tohsaka was gradually getting farther and farther away._

_What was going on, here? Tohsaka was walking with great strides. Even though she was running hard enough to be a little out of breath, Tohsaka was somehow still quicker._

-flicker-

_They were at the school. Tohsaka's long hair passed through the gates, and out of sight._

_She entered the school herself a moment later, but Tohsaka was already gone. There was no one else here, either - no one at all. The red-stained landscape was filled only with finely made, human-shaped candy._

_If the red sun were a little stronger, their original forms would melt into non-existence._

_"Tohsaka? Where are you?"_

-flicker-

_Laughter._

_She heard a girl's laughter, from inside the school._

_She entered the school building, drawn towards the sound as if it were a magnet._

-flicker-

_She stood in front of one of the classrooms. As she reached for the door, a thought occurred to her._

_Just why had she been following Tohsaka around, anyway?_

_Then the door opened in her hand, and the white light from the red sun washed over her._

_Her sight cleared, and_

-flicker-  
-flicker-  
-flicker-

_There were two girls inside, together._

_She felt neither surprise nor disgust at the sight. The two moved as lovers, so that even the distinction of the sexes seemed meaningless - and in this red scenery, they seemed only proper._

_If anything concerned her, it was the familiar blond-haired girl sitting on a desk propped against the wall, wtih her skirt hiked up and her legs spread._

_In the first place, she knew that this girl - whoever she was - was not a student, so she shouldn't have been wearing their school's uniform._

_But even beyond that, the girl's arms dangled limply at her sides, wrists resting palm-up on the desk. It was loose, sloppy..._

_Like a corpse._

-flicker-

_Her eyes widened in sudden realization._

-flicker-

_She'd made a mistake._

_This was not lovemaking._

_This was a feeding._

_The predator was eating the prey, and there was nothing she could do about it._

_The blonde's green eyes rolled wildly in her head. Her body convulsed without stopping, stronger, then weaker, then stronger again._

_Her lips moved silently in a plea to stop. But the long_

-flicker-

_violet_

-flicker-

_black hair below ignored her, and continued to burrow further in._

_Her body writhed, and_

-flicker-

_How long did this go on? The shudders grew weaker, and weaker...until at last, the blonde's head lolled to the side. Her rib cage settled one final time, and she was still._

_"Mmm..."_

_Tohsaka chuckled, and straightened. She brought one hand to her face; her fingers came away shiny, glistening in the red light as if with blood, and she licked them clean._

_She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene. Tohsaka continued to clean herself, noisily slurping one digit at a time. The sound resonated in her ears, sending shivers down her spine._

-flicker-

_"You came, Mitsuzuri-san. I'm glad."_

_Her eyes snapped back to Tohsaka. When had she finished? The other girl's eyes were now closed, as if enjoying the ambience, and her voice was sticky with anticipation._

_The dizziness was overwhelming. She couldn't move, couldn't even think._

_Just how long ago had her freedom been stolen away?_

-flicker-

_When had Tohsaka gotten so close?_

_"What's wrong, Mitsuzuri-san? Are you afraid?"_

_She stared at her, paralyzed, and Tohsaka chuckled._

_"Don't worry. Nobody will trouble us here. We can do whatever we want, just like always."_

_Just like...always?_

_She vibrated in place, unable to move, and her eyes darted to the girl still propped against the wall. Tohsaka turned her head to follow her gaze, and chuckled again - a low, sensual sound that gathered in her stomach._

_"Saber was delicious."_

_Saber - yes, that was her name - but what had she been doing here?_

_"She was here because I called her, of course."_

_Of course, she - wait._

_Her eyes darted back to Tohsaka._

_She was paralyzed. She couldn't speak - so how...?_

_"Oh, that? I can read minds."_

_..._

_WHA - _

_"Just kidding. I just have good intuition." Tohsaka frowned. "It's your fault though, you know. I was waiting for you...and waiting...and waiting...**and waiting...**"_

_Tohsaka placed one delicate finger under her chin, and tilted her face up to meet her still-closed eyes._

_"I just couldn't stand it anymore."_

_Wait a minute._

_Wasn't Tohsaka shorter than her?_

_Tohsaka chuckled again. "But now, it's your turn." She wrapped her arms around her, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear. "This time, the one I eat...will be you."_

_Her breath caught in her throat. She looked again at Saber, motionless against the wall._

_Tohsaka, still embracing her, laughed._

_"Don't worry. I know you're not ready for that yet. We can save that for next time. Today, what I want is..."_

_Tohsaka blew her sweet breath softly on her neck._

_"Aaa!"_

_The cry escaped her, even though she was paralyzed. It was not a word, just a primal shriek._

_Tohsaka laughed again - and in the next instant, she felt hot, wet lips pressing against the base of her neck._

_"Mmm...delicious..."_

_The kisses trailed along her collarbone, then back up under her ear. Tohsaka slowly traced along her jawline - then suddenly darted in, and claimed her lips._

_She squealed a wordless protest into the mouth pressed against her. Tohsaka pulled back, and smiled._

_And then, opened her eyes._

-flicker-

_Silver eyes, like crystals, glistening in the crimson light. Square red pupils, pinning her in place. They were beautiful. Inhuman._

_And _not _the eyes of Tohsaka Rin._

_"Wh...who..."_

_It took everything she had to force her mouth to form the word. She had no strength left afterwards._

_"Tohsaka" only chuckled._

_"Very good, Mitsuzuri-san. I knew that you were strong. I made the right choice in coming to you, after all." Her smile widened. "But no more of that. For now, all you need to do is - "_

**Be devoured by me here.**

_"Tohsaka" leaned in, and sank her teeth into her neck._

-flicker-

-flicker-  
-flicker-

_It didn't hurt._

_That didn't surprise her, and she wasn't sure why. "Tohsaka's" lips, her teeth, her tongue - they all felt good, even as she felt the life being pulled out of her, suckle by suckle._

_"Delicious."_

_Even though "Tohsaka" was still biting her and shouldn't have been able to speak, she heard the other girl's voice clearly._

_"Hot, fresh...this is even better than I thought it would be. I shall need to be careful not to take too much by mistake."_

_Her vision was wavering. She was at her limit._

-flicker-

_"Oh, already?" A sigh of disappointment. "Ah, well. It cannot be helped."_

_"Tohsaka" pulled away from her, and smiled._

-flicker-

_"Until next time, then."_

-flicker-

_And then she was gone._

-flicker-

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_Mitsuzuri Ayako's sight broke down into static...and then, darkness._

* * *

_**THE WORLD WITHOUT**_

A Fate/stay night Fanfic

by

Lunaludus Scribex

* * *

**CHAPTER XIV**

**2/7: REORIENTATION**

_She had returned to the hill._

_By this time, she knew enough to know that she was dreaming. She'd seen this place before - a red hill, lit by a sunset so vivid that it seemed to be drenched in blood. It was a place of death and the dead, filled with nothing but bodies and swords._

_It was the place where Saber had met her end._

_It was strange, though. The hill looked a little different. There were swords lying everywhere she looked, plunged into the ground in a cruel parody of Caliburn's debut - but the bodies were missing._

_The smell of fire and battle was overwhelming, but the blood was missing. It was as if a battle had been fought, but no one had died._

_No, that was not right, either. Death permeated this place. It was as if...yes, that was it. It was as if those who fought were dead before the battle ever began - not the Dead, but dead, all the same._

_..._

_She'd made a mistake._

_This was not the Battle of Camlann, after all. The realization came to her suddenly - as if an infusion from the dream itself - but with that understanding came further confusion._

_This was not the hill on which Arturia Pendragon had died, but it was similar. Too similar. Why did it look so much like that other hill? Had another battle taken place here? Who had fought? Whom had Saber defeated?_

_And then, a final realization._

_The dreamer was alone here._

_This was Saber's past, wasn't it?_

_So **where was Saber?**_

* * *

Sakura awoke slowly, and comfortably.

She felt good - better than she'd felt in some time, though she wasn't sure why.

She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around.

She was in her room at Senpai's house.

Her body rose of its own accord, seeking out a change in clothes even as she continued to look around in confusion.

Why was she here? What had happened? She couldn't remember how last night had ended, though the fact she had to take out a new uniform - she found the one she'd been wearing in the hamper - suggested that she had, at the very least, gone to bed under her own power.

At least, she assumed she had. She couldn't remember actually going to bed at all.

Her stomach grumbled as she finished buttoning her vest, and she decided that the rest of her concerns could wait until after breakfast.

She stopped when she reached the living room.

_"And now, a word from our sponsors..."_

The TV was on, but there was no one there.

Had Saber or Fujimura-sensei stepped out for a moment? There was no sign of breakfast on the table, but -

"Mornin'. Up early, ain'tcha?"

Sakura blinked.

"...eh...?"

She must have still been half-asleep. She could have sworn she'd just seen -

The sound of liquid drew her eyes back to the kitchen, and to the disheveled figure pouring itself a cup of tea.

"T - _Tohsaka-senpai?!_"

An incoherent grunt was the only response she got. Sakura remembered only in the nick of time to move out of the way as a barely recognizable Tohsaka Rin shuffled past her to the table, plopped down, and took a long, noisy drink.

"Tohsaka-senpai, why are you - "

She stopped at the older girl's upraised hand.

"Sakura. I hope you're not going back to calling me that now." She scowled, and Sakura shivered. "After you were so insistent last night..."

"Last...night?"

Sakura frowned. What did last night have to do with anything?

For that matter, what else would she call her? It wasn't like she could -

_'NEE-SAN!'_

The blood drained from Sakura's face.

She _hadn't..._

...had she?

She gulped. "Nee...san?"

"Better." Rin gave a decisive nod, and Sakura shivered as her sister - _her sister!_ - turned and faced her fully. "I'm annoyed enough as it is, without you throwing away the one positive thing from last night."

_Last night, again._

"Nee-san..." Sakura had to stop and shake herself. It felt wrong to be calling her that, after all the years they'd both spent denying it, but - "Nee-san, what happened? Why are you here?"

Rin gestured across the table. "Have a seat, Sakura." She turned back to her tea as Sakura sat, and took another long drink before continuing. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I..." Sakura frowned. Her memories were a bit jumbled, but - "After...after you showed up...there was someone else, wasn't there? It was - " The memory came to her in a flash, and she drew in a sharp breath. "It was Berserker."

Rin nodded.

"Nee-san, what happened? That Servant - we _couldn't_ have beaten him, could we? How did we...?"

"You're right, unfortunately." Rin sighed. "Saber and Archer didn't stand a chance against him. They were getting bounced around like ping pong balls...at which point, you took matters into your own hands."

"...what?"

_Sakura_ had -

"Nee-san, what did I do?"

"I was hoping you could tell _me_ that." She scowled. "You were using some kind of magic. Damned if I know what, or how - I'd have bet half my bank account you couldn't have done anything in your condition. I'm assuming that was the Matou Crest."

"I...yes, it would have to be."

That was the only possibility. It had to be the crest worms; Sakura hadn't been taught any other kind of magic -

_Wait._

How she was feeling - if she'd used _that_ magic, and drained someone -

"Nee-san, what happened? I didn't...I didn't kill someone, did I?"

"Not for lack of effort." Rin gave her a wry look as she took another drink, draining her cup. "You went after Berserker's Master, and nearly got her, too. What were you trying, there?"

"I...my memory isn't really clear, but..." Sakura frowned. Going after the Master instead of the Servant made some sense, but -

_Berserker._

"If...if I used the spell I think I did...I was trying to drain her magical energy. She's Berserker's Master - if she lost enough..."

"...she'd have lost control, and self-destructed." Rin groaned, and put her head in her hands. "Damn it! I should have realized - if we'd cooperated, that might have worked."

_Might_ have worked?

Now Sakura was worried all over again. If that spell had failed -

"Nee-san, what happened?"

"Berserker happened." Rin scowled. "He got between his Master and the spell, and when it hit him, it just...shattered."

"It _what?_"

Of all the ways that spell could have gone wrong, shattering was not one of them. Even if it was repelled, the attack would have taken enough from him by virtue of mere _contact_ to at least -

But if it _didn't_ -

Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

"I think there had to be a Noble Phantasm involved, somewhere. It wasn't like Saber's Magic Resistance; it's more like the spell was rejected altogether. And after that..." Rin glanced at Sakura's horrified expression, and winced. "Well, I think you have a better idea of what happened than I do."

The worms had to be fed. One way or another, they would get their energy. If the caster was the only source available, then that was where they would go.

And in Sakura's condition...

"Nee-san...why am I still alive?" Not just alive, but feeling better than she had in some time - and she could still sense her connections to both Servants, on top of that. Saber and Rider were both alive and well. "How did you...?"

Rin's face reddened, and she turned away. "You needed magical energy. So we gave you some."

"You gave me..." She took in her sister's blush...and suddenly felt her own face burning. "Nee-san! You didn't - "

"No!" Rin waved her hands, eyes wide. "I didn't...well...not exactly."

"'Not exactly'?"

"I couldn't just _give_ you my energy. That would have taken a contract, and that's a bad idea on multiple levels."

_A contract..._

Sakura swallowed, and nodded.

"So I had to use a tool...to do it indirectly."

"I...see."

She didn't, really. Sakura couldn't think of an indirect method of transfer, herself; she could only imagine that it was some kind of Tohsaka family secret (and she even managed that thought with only traces of bitterness).

But that didn't feel right, either. What would her sister be so embarrassed about, if that was all it was? Something about what she'd said sounded familiar, but where -

_'Sakura, a Servant is a tool.'_

Yes, that was it. That was what Saber had told her, back when she was trying to convince Sakura to use her as a means...to...

"..."

Sakura looked at Rin.

Rin looked away, and Sakura felt her heart begin to pound.

"..."

Her sister...had given her energy.

Her sister had used a tool to do so.

A Servant was a tool.

_Nee-san has a Servant._

A panicked squeak escaped before Sakura could cover her mouth.

Rin's blush deepened.

"Nee-san...you..._Archer?_"

She nodded wordlessly.

"I...um..."

What did you say, in a situation like this?

What _could_ you say?

"Nee-san...th-thank you, I - "

Rin cut her off, face still red. "Don't thank me, Sakura."

It was funny, how the same words could make her feel so much better than they had mere hours ago.

"It's not like I could have let you die," Rin continued. "We're - I mean, we're partners now, right?"

Partners?

Sakura cocked her head in thought for a moment, before her eyes widened.

_Nee-san accepted - !_

She gave her sister a grateful smile, and the older girl blushed again.

"Anyway!" Rin coughed lightly. "I wanted to talk to you about that. How are you feeling, now?"

"I'm fine, Nee-san."

Rin gave her a flat look. "'Fine' fine, or 'Let's pretend Shinji's not hitting me' fine?"

Sakura blanched. "_Nee-san - !_"

Rin winced. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No, it's just..."

Rin waved her off. "Forget it. But this is important, Sakura. This is an indirect transfer of energy, so I need to have an accurate picture of how your reserves are holding up, if this is going to work."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that what you took from Archer, Archer took from _me._" Rin gestured to herself. "And I'm not in a condition to do much more than sit upright at the moment."

Sakura brought her hands to her mouth in shock. She took in her sister's disheveled state again, this time understanding what was wrong with her, and that it was _Sakura's fault - _

"Don't look at me like that." Rin gave her an irritated scowl. "A day or so off my feet, and I'll be fine, and if anything happens before that, Archer's at full strength. The question is - when I'm better, what will _you_ be like?" She leaned forward. "How fast is your Magic Crest draining you, Sakura?"

"Ah." Now she understood. "It's not that bad, Nee-san. This was more than I normally would have gotten; even as a Master, it should last me for a few days."

"And if Saber has to use her Noble Phantasm?" Rin shook her head before Sakura could answer. "Never mind, I get the picture. Anyway, to be on the safe side, no one's doing anything today. I'll check your condition tonight to be sure, and we can plan what to do from there."

"All right, Nee-san. Then I - "

_"We now return to our coverage of the disaster at Homurabara Academy."_

Sakura went still.

"Kirei managed to pass it off as a gas leak." Sakura looked over, and took in Rin's sour expression. "God only knows how, after what Shinji pulled. But that was about all he _could_ do. Sakura, this...you may not want to watch this."

But by that point, it was too late. The report had already begun.

Sakura could only sit there, watching the television with mounting horror as the anchors and reporters droned on.

Nearly a quarter of the student body was dead.

Most of the rest were maimed and disfigured.

In the cafeteria, there were no survivors.

Authorities were still trying, with very little success, to identify all the victims, and distinguish those killed from those merely missing. To that end, a list of all those not conclusively identified as dead or injured had been distributed to the media. Sakura's name was on there, as was her sister's. Mistuzuri Ayako. Matou Shinji. Emiya Shirou.

And so very many others.

The police were asking for those with knowledge of the whereabouts of anyone on the list to come forward.

Unsurprisingly, Caster's Master, Kuzuki Souichirou, was also listed as missing. And there were two other teachers' deaths, apparently unrelated to the "gas": Hitorime Kirishi, who was found with his throat slit at the school gates...

...and Fujimura Taiga, found in a stairwell with a broken neck.

"..."

_"And now, a word from our sponsors..."_

"..."

"...Sakura?"

"Hm?" Sakura blinked. Why was her sister so blurry? "Nee-san? I..." She reached up to her eyes, and was surprised when her fingers came away wet.

Sakura was crying?

Why hadn't she noticed?

"Sakura, I..."

Rin reached out to her, but Sakura flinched away, and she stopped her hand inches from Sakura's shoulder. Her face contorted, then stiffened; she abruptly stood and turned away, leaving the room without another word.

Sakura watched her go, hands limp on the table, eyes numb.

* * *

_"Hello, Saber."_

"Archer."

Saber was not surprised that Archer had noticed her approach. From this close, it was easy for any Servant to sense another; even she, the weakest in that regard, had needed only a few seconds to track down her counterpart.

Where she had found him, though, was troubling.

"What are you doing here?"

_"Just admiring the scenery."_ Archer materialized a few feet inside the shed, and turned to her with a smirk. "This is the only place I've found in this house with more than traces of magecraft. I take it this is where your first Master practiced?"

"I would not know." Saber had to take a moment to remind herself that Archer meant Shirou, not Kiritsugu. "He broke our contract before I had the opportunity to witness his craft."

She frowned as she looked over the shed. She had been here only briefly, first when she was summoned and again when she had searched the house with Sakura. Neither of them had been here since; it was still in the same state of disarray that had resulted from Shirou's stand against Lancer.

But it was familiar, all the same.

Saber didn't like to think about that.

"I see." Archer shrugged, then grinned. "Perhaps it's just as well. If this was his idea of a workshop, I think Rin would have killed him on general principle."

"Archer." Saber fixed him with a steely look. "I have no interest in hearing you insult Shirou in my presence."

"Well, I wouldn't want to wound your delicate maiden's heart."

"Archer, you - "

"My apologies. I misspoke. That should be your delicate _kingly_ heart, correct?" Archer smirked. "Or perhaps you prefer 'queenly'?"

"Neither." Saber ground her teeth, and glared at him.

She'd had _enough_ of people insulting her as a king by the end of the last War. And that War's Rider and Archer had at least had the decency not to bring _Guinevere_ - and by extension, the entire fiasco with Lancelot - into their denigrations.

And then, of course, there was the fact that Archer had reminded her - again - that he and Rin had somehow figured out her identity.

From Invisible Air _alone._

That was probably the most aggravating part of all.

"Interesting circle, though."

Saber froze.

"It's the oldest thing in here, by far. The style is quite distinctive, as well. Impressive."

_He insults me like that, and then - then, he just - _

Saber forced herself to regain her composure.

"It is where I was summoned. I would think that to be expected."

"I'm aware of that," Archer said dryly. "I was just past the walls at the time. That's the really interesting thing, though - this isn't a summoning circle."

"Not a - " Saber blinked. "You are sure of this?"

Archer nodded. "Summoning circles are fairly standardized, and circles for Servants even more so - they need to interface with the Grail, and there isn't much leeway there." He gestured at the circle. "This one has none of the required elements. It's not fit to summon a cat, much less a Heroic Spirit."

"Where are you going with this, Archer?"

"Nowhere in particular. I just found it amazing that Emiya Shirou managed to summon you here. Even if the Grail was doing the work, to force you in through that thing..." He shook his head. "However much credit the Founding Three got for their work, it wasn't enough."

Saber frowned again. She remembered this circle; she had carved it herself, at the direction of Irisviel von Einzbern, during the brief period when the pair had made this their base in the previous War.

"Can you tell what this circle was for?" she asked.

"Only a little. You'd be better off asking Rin...or Caster, if things really fall apart on us." He chuckled at her glare, then turned back to the circle. "As far as I can tell, though, it appears to be primarily for maintenance."

"Maintenance?"

"Well, maybe it would be better to say 'emergency support.'" Archer gestured to the circle again. "This is supposed to replenish the magical energy of whatever is in it. It uses the energy of the earth to do so. It's an excellent design...but this is not a good place for it."

"What do you mean?"

"There are several ley lines in this city, as I'm sure you know. It's what makes this land suitable for the Holy Grail War." Saber nodded, and he continued. "But this property isn't particularly close to any of them, so this circle's rate of generation is very slow. It's inefficient to the point of being meaningless."

Meaningless?

Saber felt an uneasy twist in her gut.

_What was Irisviel...?_

"Then why draw it here?"

"At a guess, whoever it was had no choice. Most of the major lines are already claimed, and heavily guarded. If this was the only place where an earlier Master could hole up, then they'd have to make do." Archer shook his head. "But even then, they must have been desperate to resort to this."

The unease grew.

"You're so sure of that?"

"There are better ways to charge a Mystic Code, so this must have been used by a person. But it's so slow as to be practically useless. Whoever this was for...if they were reduced to a state where they had to rely on this circle, it would have bought them only a few days, at best.

"True, in the Holy Grail War, even a few days can mean a lot - but even then, whoever used this circle had one foot in the grave already." Archer stopped. "Saber? Is something wrong?"

"She never told me..."

Irisviel had been dying.

She must have known, the entire time. But she had never told Saber.

Saber had known Irisviel could recover in the circle; she had seen her rest there, and the next day Irisviel had been -

But she hadn't been, had she?

_It was all an act._

She'd deceived Saber, and gone to such great lengths to do so.

Why had she hidden it? Had Kiritsugu known? When the enemy kidnapped her, and he used a Command Spell to send Saber after her -

"Saber?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I apologize."

She forcibly wrenched her mind away from the line of thought. It was long past the point where she could have done anything about it, and when she stopped to think about it - she had failed at everything else in that debacle of a War.

Why should this have been any different?

"If you say so." Archer stepped past a kettle lying on the floor, towards the entrance, then stopped and cocked his head. "Incidentally, how much longer are you planning on wearing that?"

Saber blinked and looked down. She was still wearing her Servant's garb, minus the armor, just as she had since she'd gotten Sakura home last night.

"Far be it from me to offer advice to another Servant, but even if you dropped the metal, that's still a drain on your Master."

"I am aware of that." Saber shrugged. "It cannot be helped. I had borrowed some of Sakura's clothing, but those articles were damaged, and can no longer be worn."

Archer gave her a long look, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"What?"

He smirked. "I suppose you have a point. Your Master is a real wildcat, after all."

Saber's face flushed. "_Archer - !_"

"It's a pity we cleared out all the enemy surveillance last night. I should have checked to see if there were any recordings, first."

"Archer! You - _you - _"

"Well, seeing as we are supposed to be allies now, I'll see if Rin can do something about clothes for you. Every little bit we can reduce the strain on your Master will help." He cocked his head. "Of course, if you wish to go nude outside of combat instead, I don't think anyone here will complain."

"ARCHER! If you do not - "

"Well, I'm off to see Rin. Have fun!" He dematerialized, and his presence quickly faded.

It took Saber several minutes to calm herself. When she did, though, she became puzzled.

Archer had done that on purpose. All of it.

Why provoke her? He was rude, but not pointlessly so. He had wanted to make her upset -

_A diversion?_

That felt right. He was hiding something - something in here, that he didn't want her paying attention to - but what?

Aside from the circle, what else was here? All she could see was junk.

What was so special about a kettle, a box, a shinai, and a knife?

* * *

Ayako couldn't say what had woken her.

She didn't recognize what had come before, or what came now, or even that there was a difference, at first. There was only a gradual realization that she was in a bed that was not her own, in an unfamiliar room.

About a minute later, she remembered why that should concern her.

A moment after that, she finally noticed that there was someone else in the room.

"Who's...who's there?"

Her voice came out in a hoarse croak that she barely recognized as her own.

The rustling sounds stopped, though, and were replaced by steady footsteps, becoming slightly louder as they approached her.

Ayako tried to sit up, but had little success; she had to settle for craning her head upward to see who was coming.

"So. Awake, are you?"

A man in a red coat stood before her. He had deeply tanned skin and white hair, and oddly enough, seemed to be wearing some kind of body armor beneath his coat.

Ayako idly wondered why he'd need armor - and for whatever reason, that thought made the connection for her.

She abruptly realized where she was, and why, and where she had seen this man before.

"You...you're Tohsaka's..."

"Servant Archer, at your service." He paused, then smirked. "As long as you pay Rin for the privilege, at least."

Something loosened in her gut - Tohsaka was alive; this man wouldn't be making a joke like that otherwise - and she let herself sink back onto her pillow.

"How long have I been out?"

"It's been about a day since Rin took her leave of you."

"She _is_ all right, then?"

He nodded. "She didn't think you'd be awake yet, or...well, actually, she probably wouldn't have been here, regardless. But she would have told me to check up on you, rather than just fetching some clothes. Sorry about that."

"Apology acc...what the hell are you talking about?"

"Clothing." Archer held up a white blouse for her inspection. "Things worn to cover other things which we either don't want to see, or want to see too much of. The word is derived from - "

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Ayako broke into a fit of coughs. When she regained her breath, she saw Archer watching her in concern. (She _thought_ it was concern, anyway. His face was hard to read, but it felt familiar to her, somehow.) "The last thing I remember, Tohsaka got some kind of ESP message from you, and tore off like a bat out of hell. What the heck happened?"

"Ah. I see what you mean, now." He crossed his arms and frowned. "Well, there's been a bit of trouble with the other Servants."

_Trouble...?_

One Servant sprang immediately to mind.

"Not...Rider?"

"Rider?" Archer blinked, then shook his head. "No, I think it's safe to say that we've seen the last of her. With her Master dead, if she hasn't faded away yet, it's only a matter of hours before she does."

"Faded...away?"

"We Servants are not natural. We're summoned from the Throne of Heroes, and it's only the bonds we share with our Masters that keep us in this world. Without those, the world would tear us apart in short order." He shrugged. "Matou Shinji was not a mage, so the summoning must have been a bit irregular. But that does not change the fact that he was Rider's Master. With him dead, she has no anchor here, and can't last for long."

Not long...but not right away, either.

"Could she find a new Master?"

"Hm?" Archer looked at her in surprise. "Ah, I see. Rin told you about Saber?" Ayako nodded, and he sighed. "It's a remote possibility...but a _very_ remote one. All the Masters are accounted for now, which was not the case when Saber lost her contract. The only one in a position to take on another Servant is a Servant herself, and even if the thought occurred to her, I doubt Rider would go to her willingly."

"Huh?"

"The Caster class is reserved for the great mages of legend...and they tend to have egos to match. This War's Caster apparently took the concept of Servants being dependent on their Masters as a personal insult." Archer chuckled. "She killed her own Master, stole Lancer's contract, and is acting as a Master, herself."

"I bet Tohsaka was thrilled with...wait. Caster 'class'?"

"Think of it as a 'type,'" Archer said. "Each Servant is summoned into one of seven predetermined molds, depending on their affinities: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, or Assassin."

Ayako frowned. "So 'Archer' isn't your real name?"

"As I said, Servants are summoned from the Throne of Heroes." Ayako didn't know what the hell the "Throne of Heroes" was, but she nodded anyway, and Archer continued. "The thing about heroes is that the more famous they are, the better known their weaknesses. So we all hide behind our class names." He shrugged. "Most of the Servants' identities have been revealed by now, but we still use our class names for convenience."

_Heroes? Famous? So this guy is..._

Did it really matter, though?

"Makes sense." Ayako coughed again. "So what happened, anyway?"

"In a word, Caster." Archer shook his head. "She decided one Servant wasn't enough for her, so she tried to add Saber to her collection."

"Saber?" Her eyes went wide, and she once again struggled to sit up. "Matou! No, I mean, not Shinji, Sakura! I mean - is she - "

"We arrived in time to drive Caster off. Then _Berserker_ showed up, and his Master thought that the best way to thwart Caster's plans was to turn us all into bloody pancakes." Archer smirked. "Rin got so fed up with the whole fiasco that she decided the only way to keep Saber and her Master out of trouble was to put them under lock and key."

"Lock and...so then - "

"Hence the clothes." Archer gestured behind him, and Ayako followed his movement with her eyes, spotting several drawers open and garments neatly folded and stacked. "Saber has gone through her Master's entire wardrobe, and it's starting to become a distraction. Rin decided that a few outfits are a small sacrifice if it helps make this alliance work."

_Alliance._

Tohsaka and Sakura had joined forces.

It was the best possible news. All the tension drained away, and Ayako sank back into her bed in relief.

"You should rest for now. I'll leave you a small meal before I go, and if I know Rin, barring a catastrophe she'll be by to check on you tomorrow."

Ayako barely acknowledged Archer's words. Her mind was already drifting away, and sleep embraced her almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

* * *

"Have I ever mentioned that you're a sorry cheat?"

"No, Lancer." Caster smiled at her newest subordinate, while one eyebrow twitched beneath her hood. "In the long and storied twenty-four hours that we have known one another, I do not believe that subject has ever passed your lips."

"Well, just for the record - you suck."

There was a snicker off to the side, and Caster turned to glare at its source. "Is there something you'd like to add, Assassin?"

"Not in particular, no."

"Now you see, this is what I'm talking about." Lancer shot Assassin a venomous glance. "Forget how the hell you actually managed to summon _him_ - why did you even bother in the first place?"

"I told you, I'm - "

"'Thinking about after the War,' yeah, yeah, yeah. You gave me that excuse the first hundred times." Lancer's brow crinkled in disgust. "Seriously. You summoned him, you stole me, your Master's not a mage so there's no way in hell he's the guy who summoned you...and let's not even get started on all _this._"

He gestured around them, at the courtyard of Ryudou Temple. It was mid-afternoon, and the monks were going about their business...completely ignoring the three materialized Servants in their midst.

"Is there a rule in this damned War that you _haven't_ broken?"

"Well..." Caster tapped her lip. "No Master has fled to the church as of yet, so I've left that place alone. I suppose that would count."

Lancer sighed. "Figures."

He was getting better, Caster told herself. Compared to the trantr - Most-Emphatically-_Not_-A-Tantrum - he'd thrown when she first guided him here and he realized just why he hadn't been able to find her, this latest insult was hardly worth mentioning.

Caster told herself that...but sparks danced between her fingers, and the temptation to use a Command Spell to make Lancer do something painful - not to mention humiliating - was almost overwhelming.

"Caster. Enough."

Caster stiffened. She turned to the fourth member of their discussion, and bowed. "Yes, Souichirou-sama. I understand."

This was supposed to be a strategy meeting. She had to rein in her temper.

"Isn't it usually the _guy_ who's whipped?"

Caster firmly bit her tongue and counted to five, then took a deep breath. Only after her heartbeat had returned to normal did she turn to Lancer. "So, Archer and Saber are together now?"

Lancer's face grew serious, and he nodded. "Archer's keeping watch, so I couldn't get too close. But I was able to confirm that all four of them are alive - Masters and Servants both - and in the same place. If they're not partners, I don't know what the hell they're doing."

That was unfortunate. After her shadow had been taken out, she'd hoped that they would fight each other. She didn't think that Archer would be able to defeat Saber, but if he softened her up it would make it easier for Lancer to capture her later on.

They'd looked to be well on their way to that end...before Berserker interfered, at least.

_Ah, well._ "Was there any sign of Rider? From what I saw, she has some degree of Independent Action, but she should be near her limit by now."

"...and Saber's Master resembled the punk." Lancer frowned. "I hadn't thought of that - she'd be a natural choice for a new Master, wouldn't she? But no, I didn't see Rider."

"Very well." So Rider was gone. That was good. "And Berserker?"

"Back to the forest, and may he get impaled on a root." Lancer spat to one side, then turned back to Caster. "Well, boss? When do we go after him?"

"Indeed..."

That had been the plan, after all. She would take the fight to Berserker, now that she could bring a second Servant to bear. But...

"Saber and Archer...that alliance concerns me."

Individually, they were no threat. Together, though -

"You think it might be worth going after them, first?"

"Perhaps." It certainly wouldn't hurt to have Saber in her arsenal. "But Berserker's Master knows too much. If he came after us while we were fighting Saber and Archer..."

"Or vice-versa." Lancer grimaced.

They couldn't fight all three at once, and they both knew it.

"Still," Assassin said, drawing their attention, "this simplifies matters, does it not?"

"How so?" Caster asked.

It was her Master who answered. "Your enemies have gathered into two camps. If you are flanked, it will be from only one force."

"And that makes them predictable." Caster nodded. If she only had to worry about one set of interlopers, planning would be much easier.

"Could we not wait for them to come to us?" Assassin suggested. "We're in little danger while I stand guard here."

Caster shook her head. "If they don't fight us, they'll be fighting each other. There's far too great a risk of Saber dying before I can get my hands on her."

"So you'll go on the offensive, then?"

She nodded. "Lancer and I will go. Souichirou-sama, may I entrust your safety to Assassin while I am gone?"

"Do as you wish."

"All right!" Lancer grinned. "So, who's the target?"

"Who, indeed..."

Berserker, or Saber and Archer. Whom would she target first? Her chances were good, regardless, but there were different advantages to both targets - and, of necessity, different risks, as well.

For better or worse, the choice she made now would likely define the course of this Holy Grail War. It was hard to tell which was the correct path, but there was one thing of which she was certain:

Waiting passively here would be a fatal mistake.

She contemplated, and planned.

And then, Caster made her choice.

* * *

"That was very good, Rin."

"I'm glad you liked it." Rin took the last of the dishes from Saber, dried it, and returned it to its place. "I'm usually just cooking for myself, so it's hard for me to get an objective view of my skills. And..."

She glanced back to the living room with a grimace. Saber followed her gaze, and frowned as well.

Sakura was still sitting at the table, staring into space.

As far as Saber could tell, she hadn't moved from that spot the entire day. She hadn't said a word about Saber's new clothes - Saber reminded herself to thank Rin again later - or about anything else, for that matter. Neither Saber nor Rin had been able to get a response out of her.

Rin had finally been forced to take the making of dinner upon herself, and while the food was very good, Sakura ate mechanically, sparingly, without comment. Her silence had spread to the others, and in spite of Rin's excellent cooking, it was a profoundly unpleasant meal.

Now, Rin sighed as she removed her apron. "Saber, could you see to Sakura? I'm going to make some tea, and then I'll call Archer. We need to talk about where we go from here."

Saber nodded, and returned to the living room.

"Sakura?"

No response.

Saber laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder. She started, then looked up. "Oh, Saber. What is it?"

"Rin told me about what happened. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

It was a lie - an obvious lie - but Saber was not going to call her on it.

The deaths had to be hitting her hard. Taiga's, in particular - she didn't die from the boundary field, and that meant...

Saber couldn't even begin to imagine the conflict in her Master's mind.

But that was fine.

"We are going to hold a strategy meeting in a few moments' time. Rin and I will want your input."

"Okay." Sakura nodded...just as Saber had known that she would.

The conflict had not been resolved. It would not be resolved until long after the Holy Grail War was ended, assuming she survived.

But that did not matter. Sakura could put it aside. She could pretend it was resolved, and even deceive herself for a time.

That was what Saber was counting on. Whatever else might be said of her, this one truth could not be denied:

Matou Sakura was a consummate liar.

By the time Rin entered with the tea, Sakura was nearly back to normal.

Rin frowned, but said nothing. She set the tray on the table as Archer entered the room and materialized - and then, to Saber's amusement, she sat down while Archer poured the tea for everyone.

"All right, let's get started, shall we?" Archer set a cup in front of Rin, and she took a sip before continuing. "First and foremost. Sakura, how are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, Nee-san." Sakura accepted a cup from Archer with a nod. "I know I haven't been doing much today, but - "

"You barely ate, and the stress you were under makes up for you not moving, I think." Rin glanced over at Archer as he set a cup in front of Saber, and frowned. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to add a bit more stress to that right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I sent Archer to my place to pick up some clothes for Saber this afternoon."

Sakura blinked, then looked over at Saber, taking in the outfit Saber was wearing - a more conservative blouse than the one she'd borrowed from her Master, with no neckline whatsoever, a thin, dark ribbon in place of a tie, and a navy blue skirt - as if for the first time.

_She really hadn't noticed?_

Rin drew their attention back to her with a light cough. "As I was saying. Since it was on the way, I had Archer make a little side trip...to the Matou mansion."

"My house?" Sakura blinked. "But why?"

"I was bit concerned." Sakura continued to look at her without comprehension, and the older girl sighed. "Look, I know you two were lying low, so I'm not sure how much you know about what Shinji was up to. But just from his interactions with me, I can tell he was a complete idiot."

Saber sipped her tea and nodded. "That does match my impression of him."

"Saber!"

"Recall what Rider told us, Sakura. _He never even asked her name._ He did not have the slightest idea what he was doing in this War."

Sakura backed down, and Rin cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Rider said that?" Saber nodded, and she frowned. "Just how closely were you two working together?"

"Rider mentioned that detail in the course of consulting with me regarding Lancer, as the two had faced off and he mentioned having fought me. This was the second conversation she and I had." Saber glanced at Sakura out of the corner of her eye. "I attempted to slay Shinji later that night."

"...and that answers that question." Rin sighed, and took another sip. "Anyway. Shinji was an idiot. He went out of his way to tell me he was a Master, and if I'd believed him, he never would have survived to activate that boundary field. My worry was this - if he was as careless with the other Masters and Servants as he was with me, and someone figured out who he was..."

Saber leaned forward. "You thought someone would attack his home?"

"I did - and I was right."

Sakura gasped, and Archer spoke up. "The house is in disarray. The wards have been destroyed, and the building is deserted. Matou Zouken is gone."

"Grandfather is...?"

"Are you sure of this, Archer?" Saber asked. "Zouken spends much of his time in a hidden chamber - "

"I found it...or should I say, I found what was left of it."

Sakura went still.

"There was clearly a battle there, and there's no question that a Servant was involved. The place looks like a dozen missiles went off at once. I found no traces of an escape." Archer frowned. "Matou Zouken could not have survived."

_So Zouken's boasts of having protection from the Servants were empty, after all._

"It sounds as if we were fortunate to have left for this place when we did." Saber looked over at her Master. "Sakura? Are you well?"

"I'm...I'm all right, Saber. Grandfather was..."

"There's never a good time for it, but at least it all happened all at once." Rin smiled. "And even better, you seem to be bearing up well, Sakura. That's a good sign. If your energy levels hold steady, we might actually have a chance here!"

"If only we weren't opposed by Servants, you mean?"

Rin gave Archer a flat look.

"Glare at me all you like. Our capabilities are only half the equation."

"And I was just getting to that," Rin said through gritted teeth.

"If you say so."

Rin sighed. "Well, let's start with the easy one."

"Rider, you mean?" Saber asked.

Rin frowned. "That's right, but how did you know? You two fled before our battle with her even started."

"Rider approached us while we were in hiding, with news of Shinji's death." Saber looked between Rin and Archer, and narrowed her eyes as she recalled her exchange with Archer in the shed. _No...they are still hiding things from us. We should not let them know about her just yet._ "I was stronger than her, though, and she realized this, so she left without a fight."

"I see." Rin nodded. "Well, we can safely say that she's dead."

"Why so certain?" Saber knew better, but she was curious as to Rin's reasoning. "You thought the same thing of me when Shirou ended our contract."

"And I would have been right, if I hadn't forgotten about Matou Zouken being the one who created the Command Spells in the first place."

"Ah." So Rin thought Shinji had summoned Rider, and that Zouken later crafted new Command Spells for Sakura to take on Saber. "And since Zouken is not an option this time...What about Caster, then?"

"We thought about that, too." Rin grimaced. "But no one even knew that was a possibility until she stole Lancer's contract. Rider had fled before that, and Archer was watching the fight. He'd have spotted her if she came back."

"So Rider would have no means of knowing..."

"And that leaves her without a Master, fading away." Archer nodded. "And that brings us to Lancer and Caster."

Rin scowled, and Sakura's grip on her teacup tightened, spilling a bit over the side as her hands shook.

Saber frowned. "Caster...I still cannot believe that she did that."

"She and Berserker seem to be occupying opposite poles in this War," Archer said. "Caster has the least power of any of the Servants, but the most ways to make up for that."

"And she is using all of them."

It could be worse. There were no demonic summonings from this Caster, at least.

...at least, not _yet._

"What about her Master?" Saber asked.

"Rider didn't tell you?" Rin frowned. "It's Kuzuki-sensei."

Sakura stiffened, and Saber blinked. "She did" - in a manner of speaking; Sakura had learned it through the boundary field, and that _was_ Rider, technically - "but we found it hard to believe. Yet another Master at that school?"

"Hard to believe...but true, all the same," Archer said. "This one's not a mage, and unlike Rider's Master, his family has no magical lineage for him to draw upon. However Caster managed the feat, he isn't the one who summoned her. It's safe to say that her original Master is dead."

Saber nodded. "Caster said as much."

"Don't underestimate Kuzuki-sensei, though," Rin said. "That man is dangerous. He was fighting Lancer bare-handed, and holding his own. Not to mention that he blew Shinji's head off with one punch."

"Nii-san?" Sakura's eyes widened. "_Kuzuki-sensei_ was the one who...?"

"Sakura..."

Sakura closed her eyes and drew a shuddering breath. "I'm all right, Saber."

Rin watched with concern, but only returned to the topic of the Servants. "We don't know where Caster and Lancer are holed up right now. Archer and I hadn't managed to find either of them, even before they teamed up."

"So we do not know the condition of Lancer's former Master?"

"We don't even know who the guy _was_, let alone if he's still alive."

Archer chuckled. "I don't think we need to worry about that particular problem."

Saber frowned. "What do you mean, Archer?"

"I mean that Lancer hated his former Master, with a passion. You heard him yourself - he's happier serving Caster. I believe we can safely leave this loose end to him - if that mage isn't dead yet, now that there are no Command Spells in the way, it's only a matter of time."

Rin nodded. "We wouldn't even know where to begin looking, anyway. Beyond keeping our eyes open for an attack, there's not much we can do about those two right now."

"Agreed," Saber said, and Sakura nodded as well.

"So next up is...Berserker."

They were already tense. But the air itself seemed to darken at the mention of his name.

"Hercules." Saber shook her head. "To think that such an overpowering hero would be summoned - and in _that_ class."

Archer nodded. "If Caster is the Servant best able to make up for her weaknesses, Berserker is the Servant with no weaknesses for which he needs to compensate. Even knowing his identity does us little good."

"How were you able to drive him off last night?" Saber asked. "Was your Noble Phantasm - "

"I didn't use my Noble Phantasm."

Saber blinked. "You did not? But you said..."

"To deceive one's enemies, one must first deceive one's allies." Archer smirked. "It also left Berkserker and his Master less prepared for what I actually did."

"Which was?"

Rin gave her Servant a sour look. "This genius sent up a signal flare to draw the police, and gambled that those two would retreat, rather than kill all the witnesses."

Archer shrugged. "The Einzberns are one of the three original families. If anyone could be counted on to obey the rules, it would be Berserker's Master."

Saber nodded. "I see."

"And speaking of which..." Rin smiled, and Saber instinctively stiffened. "Saber, you seemed to know that girl."

"...I do."

"Would you mind sharing with the rest of us?"

"Very well." Saber sighed, and drained the rest of her cup. "You are already aware that this is not the first time I have participated in the Holy Grail War." Rin nodded, and Saber continued. "In the last War, I fought on behalf of the Einzberns. I recognized Ilyasviel from that time."

"Wait. That makes no sense." Rin frowned. "She's younger than I am - she had to have been just a newborn, back then."

"I do not understand it myself," Saber said. "Her identity is unmistakable, but she appears to be nearly the same age now as she was then. She should more closely resemble her mother by this time."

"Her mother?"

Saber nodded. "Irisviel von Einzbern. She was my partner in the last War."

"Your partner...but not your Master, correct?"

Saber blinked. "Archer?"

"I noticed you shaking your head when Rin called that girl a Master, Saber. And you looked stunned when she confirmed it. You must have had a reason for that belief, and if you worked closely with her mother..."

"You are correct." Saber sighed. Archer's perceptiveness was alarming. "My Master and I...were not compatible. Rather than risk a disagreement in battle that would lead to our defeat, he had Irisviel accompany me as a decoy while he acted behind the scenes."

She frowned. "Irisviel was a homunculus. Ilyasviel, being her daughter, would be the same. I did not believe that an artificial life could be selected by the Grail to be a Master."

"I see." Rin frowned. "A homunculus...that would certainly explain how she could control Berserker so well." She shook her head. "Einzbern...you were based in their castle?"

"I was, for a time." Saber nodded. "I see what you are thinking, and I would indeed be capable of finding it again with little difficulty. However, you should be aware that we would be under surveillance from the moment we set foot in those woods, and it is a long journey to the castle. It would be impossible for us to ambush the Einzberns on their home ground."

"Terrific."

Saber turned to Archer. "Archer, you had a better look than I. What do you make of Berserker's capabilities?"

"He's a monster." Archer shook his head. "I don't think any other Servant could match him in speed and power, and his defenses are ridiculous. Your sword, my arrows, our Masters' magic - none of it so much as scratched him. He simply can't be hurt."

"Is it a Noble Phantasm?"

"Without a doubt. Some manifestation of the lion's pelt, most likely. But that's not the most alarming thing."

Rin leaned forward. "What is?"

"Berserker's Master let Lancer go."

Rin blinked, then frowned. "I see how Lancer's survival would be bad for us, but what does that have to do with Berserker?"

"Think about it, Rin. Lancer's Noble Phantasm is Gae Bolg - a cursed spear that will always pierce the heart. Yet, even knowing that he was allied with Caster, Berserker's Master let him escape without even trying to kill him."

Saber frowned. "You mean that Gae Bolg is no threat to Berserker?"

Archer nodded. "The most famous symbol of the hero Hercules is the bow and arrows with which he slew the Hydra. We didn't see those, though. And his next most famous aspect - "

Rin gasped. "The Twelve Labors!"

"Exactly." Archer nodded. "Legend says that he earned his immortality with those deeds. Translate that to the Holy Grail War..."

Saber finished the thought. "Stacked resurrections."

Archer nodded again. "I think it's safe to say that Berserker has twelve lives. At best, he has nothing to fear from a sure-kill Noble Phantasm."

Saber's eyes narrowed. "And at worst?"

Archer's mouth tightened. "At worst, he has nothing to fear because Lancer has _already_ used his Noble Phantasm against him."

Saber breathed in sharply. "Archer, you are sure of this?"

"I can't think of another explanation for that scar on his chest."

At that, Rin began to curse.

Sakura looked between the three of them in confusion. "Um, Saber? Nee-san? What's...?"

"Think about it, Sakura." Rin scowled. "Twelve lives, awarded for twelve _different_ labors."

Archer nodded. "Different lives...requiring different deaths."

Sakura paled. Now she understood.

Saber looked at Archer. "So, even if I were to kill him with Excalibur - "

"As long as he had a life remaining, when he revived, your holy sword would from that point on be useless against him...just as I fear Gae Bolg now is."

Twelve lives. Six Servants. And Saber doubted any of them were like the last War's Archer.

"So, for all intents and purposes, defeating Berserker is impossible." Rin frowned. "In that case, the logical target would be his Master...but Sakura tried that last night, and we all saw how well that worked."

"Berserker would have to be restrained, first." Saber closed her eyes in thought. "Perhaps there is a window of vulnerability while he is reviving?"

"At any rate," Archer said, "the best thing we can do right now is wait. If his Noble Phantasm treats different spells as different weapons, then Caster is our best bet to whittle down his lives."

"And if it treats all her magic as one weapon?"

"Then she takes one life, and Berserker removes her from the Holy Grail War." Archer smirked. "Either way, we benefit."

"All the more reason to leave them alone, I guess. So that just leaves..." Rin grimaced. "Assassin."

Saber blinked. "Rin?"

Archer smiled. "I see you have not encountered him as of yet, Saber. But that makes sense, if you and your Master were hiding until yesterday."

"We met him a few days ago," Rin said. "He confronted us openly, and identified himself without hesitation."

Saber frowned. "Confronting you openly is odd, but for Assassin, identifying himself would not - "

"He identified himself as Sasaki Kojirou."

"..._What._"

"Your hearing has not deceived you, Saber." Archer crossed his arms. "Someone other than the proper Assassin was summoned to fight in this War."

"How? How is that even possible?" Saber shook her head in disbelief. "Assassin has to be Hassan Sabbah. _The class name itself is his catalyst!_ How could someone have subverted that?!"

"We asked ourselves much the same question." Archer smirked. "I think Lancer might have been the only normal Servant summoned this time around. But it really doesn't matter, in the end. False Assassin or not, he is the seventh Servant, and we must defeat him."

Saber frowned, then nodded. "This is truth. But Archer. Assassin employs the class ability of Presence Concealment. Finding him would be no easy task."

Rin shook her head. "If we were talking about the normal Assassin, yes. But this one is just standing guard at Ryudou Temple."

"Ryudou Temple...I see, the boundary field."

Archer blinked. "Ah, yes. That's right - you've fought before. You would know about it."

Saber nodded. "So Assassin's Master is holed up there, and he is guarding the only entrance?"

"That's right."

"We'd originally thought that was where Caster was based." Rin grimaced. "Someone is draining life energy from all over the place, and it's all going there. With the temple being on the outskirts, I thought only Caster would be capable of reaching out so far..."

"No." Saber shook her head. "Even for a mage of this era, if one takes that temple, such magic is naturally possible."

"So there is something, after all? There are no practicing healers there, so I'd thought it was just for show until we found that boundary field." Rin leaned forward. "What's going on up there?"

"Ryudou Temple is a fallen ley line."

"A fallen - wait, _what?_" Rin jerked back, eyes wide. "_My house_ is a fallen ley line! Why are there two foci of ley lines in one area?!"

"That, I cannot answer." Even Kiritsugu's preparations had not been _that_ thorough. "But that temple is a place mages can call sacred. From what I understand, it is one of four possible locations for the Grail to manifest itself at the end of the Holy Grail War. The life of the region flows there, so it would be a perfect base for collecting souls - a mage need only intervene in the natural flow to drain life energy from the entire city."

"...Well, I think we have our target, now."

"Rin?"

"Archer and I tried Ryudou before, but we retreated when we ran into Assassin. We know what's going on now, though - and whoever's up there worries me."

"How so?"

"Assassin is a very weak Servant." Rin held up one finger. "He shouldn't take that much to maintain. Whoever's draining all that energy needs it for something else, and since it's not Caster, that means whatever they're up to won't be effective against the Servants."

Saber's eyes went wide. "Meaning the target is the Masters."

"Exactly. And something this big...I doubt it's just going to hit five people."

Rin's face hardened, and she went on. "We'll move tomorrow night. Between you and Archer, we should be able to take out Assassin and put an end to this threat."

"Rin, are you sure you wish to wait? I am ready to go at any time."

"_You,_ maybe."

Saber followed Rin's gaze - and saw Sakura sitting there, as if dead to the world. Her attention had slipped at some point, and now she merely stared forward without actually seeing anything.

"I see your point. Tomorrow, then." She rose, and laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura started, and looked up. "Saber?"

"The meeting is over. Come, you should bathe now."

Saber pulled her unresisting Master to her feet, and led her out of the room.

* * *

Rin and Archer watched the pair go, then turned to one another.

"Archer. How is she, really?"

"From what I could see, she is telling the truth. There has been some drain, but not that much more than you'd expect with a Servant who can't take spirit form. Saber and I should both be able to fight tomorrow."

"I see." Rin's brow furrowed. "That's good...I guess."

"Rin, what's wrong? Does something about Saber's Master concern you?"

Rin nodded. "Sakura is my sister."

"Yes, I believe everyone is aware of that fact by now."

Rin gave him a flat look. "Archer, Sakura and I were born to the same parents. We should have a similar number of Magic Circuits, and similar capacities as mages. Looking at Sakura as she is now, do you really see nothing wrong?"

Archer frowned. "When you put it that way..."

"Sakura's supposed to be the Matou heir. That's why my father allowed her to be adopted in the first place." Rin clenched her hands tightly in fists. "Even accounting for differences in the family magic, it doesn't add up. If Zouken were really training her to succeed him, there's no way she'd be so...so _weak._"

"She does have the Magic Crest, though."

"Yes, the Crest." Rin scowled. "Tell me, Archer. Where is it?"

"...I'm not sure I follow."

_And this guy is supposed to be a mage who became a Heroic Spirit?_

Rin's eyes narrowed. "The Magic Crest has to be physically grafted onto its recipient. Even if it's normally invisible, that's not the case when it's being used. You could look at me using mine, for example, and know that it's on my arm. So tell me - after the show Sakura put on last night, _why can't we tell where her Crest is?_"

Archer frowned. "You believe that was not the work of the Matou Crest, after all?"

"I don't know. Maybe the Matou do things differently, and I'm just reading too much into this." Rin shook her head. "But my gut says that Zouken was up to something. If he wasn't actually training Sakura, then what the hell was he doing?"

"Should it even matter, now? Zouken is dead."

"I'm not so sure of _that_, either. You found no signs of escape, but you didn't find a body, and even Kirei is wary of that old man. Better safe than sorry...especially in the middle of the Holy Grail War." Rin sighed. "Did you notice anything about Sakura when you were with her last night?"

"...I thought you told Saber you weren't into that."

Rin felt the blood rush to her face. "You know what I meant, you jerk!"

Archer chuckled. "Very well. As my perverted Master commands - "

"_Archer!_"

"Fine, fine." Archer's grin faded. "I didn't notice anything with regards to her Magic Crest. There was one thing that caught my eye, though."

Rin glared at him, face still hot. "And that would be?"

"Do you remember the bandages on her wrist?"

"The ones hiding her Command Spells, right?"

Archer nodded. "There is a matching wrap on her other arm."

Rin blinked, then smiled. "Well, now. That _is_ clever."

When attacking a Master, it was always best to try to finish him or her in one hit. If an immediate kill was not possible, though, then the next most logical target would be the Master's Command Spells, in order to cut off the Master from the Servant.

By wrapping both wrists, Sakura had introduced an element of uncertainty into the situation. If an enemy guessed incorrectly and targeted the wrong arm, she could summon Saber before they had a chance to attack again.

No Master of even middling intelligence would take a risk like that.

"I believe this is Saber's handiwork." Archer shook his head. "You would do well to adopt this tactic yourself. Its usefulness is exhausted against us, but it should still be effective against others."

Rin nodded. When she'd asked Sakura to expose her arms yesterday, Sakura had started with her left arm. If she was using the off-arm as a decoy, that meant that Saber's Command Spells had to be on Sakura's right wrist.

"We don't know how many they have left?"

"Two, at most." Archer smirked. "Having seen Rider's Master for myself, I doubt Saber could have been prevented from killing him by any lesser means."

"...I really wish I could disagree with you there."

"We could, of course, simply ask them...but I doubt they would take kindly to us prying."

"Well, it's not like we've told them about your memory loss, either." Rin shook her head. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open."

"Agreed." Archer turned his head and frowned. "I believe Saber and her Master have just left the bath."

"My turn, then." Rin rose to her feet. "I'll leave the rest to you."

Archer smirked. "I shall do my best to live up to your expectations."

Rin blushed. "Just go, already!"

* * *

Sakura felt a little better after the bath.

Not _much_ better, but a little.

Saber had done almost everything for her. She had undressed her, and washed her, and later dried her; the tub was only big enough for one person, but Saber had stayed with her while she soaked, silently watching over her, and made do with only a shower herself. When Sakura emerged and returned to her room, Saber had trailed behind her, a faithful shadow.

It had been different. Sakura wasn't used to someone else taking care of her like that, and while she didn't think she would want that to be a regular occurrence, she could admit that she had probably needed it tonight.

Now, she walked into her room - and stopped dead.

Saber bumped into her from behind. "Sakura? What is wrong? Why have you..." She looked past her, and frowned. "Archer."

Rin's Servant nodded to them. "Good evening."

Saber nudged her from behind, and Sakura moved fully into the room, allowing Saber to come in after her and shut the door behind them.

"Do you have some business with us, Archer?"

"I do. Or rather, my Master has business with yours."

"Then why is Rin not here herself?"

Sakura frowned. That _was_ odd. What could her sister want, that she would send Archer instead of coming hers -

Oh.

Her eyes widened, and the blood rushed to her face.

Archer smirked. "I see that your Master has worked it out, Saber."

And now Saber was blushing, as well. "There is no need for that tonight, Archer. Sakura and I are still fine from last night."

"But for how long?" Archer frowned. "We have only one day's evidence from which to work. We enter battle tomorrow; if you are not at your best, our chances of success will plummet."

"My point exactly. Replenishing Sakura through you left Rin immobile all day; we need her for tomorrow's battle, as well."

"And that is precisely why I am here now."

Saber frowned. "I do not understand."

"Consider this an experiment, Saber. Last night, your Master had been almost completely drained. She was desperate for magical energy; she devoured everything she could take from me, like a wild beast with no care for the well-being of its prey."

Sakura shrank in on herself, and crossed her arms protectively over her chest.

Saber saw this, and growled. "Archer..."

"This was the cause of Rin's dishevelment today." Archer took her glare in stride. "But consider this, Saber. We are humans, not animals. Rather than only gorging ourselves when starving, it is our nature to instead take smaller meals at regular intervals."

Sakura's head snapped up.

_Regular - !_

"You...you mean...Nee-san wants us to..._every...?_"

Archer nodded. "That is indeed what Rin is thinking. In this way, you might be sustained, while the drain on her at any one time is limited to a manageable amount."

It made sense - a lot of sense. As long as Sakura didn't think too hard about what they would actually be doing, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

But on this subject, even Sakura could not deceive herself for long. And while her thrice-bedamned body was already quivering at the prospect, she had too many memories of her brother to be at ease with this.

Last night was one thing - it was an emergency, and she was completely out of it - but to do that _every night?_

"Archer...Archer-san." She stopped and swallowed. "Is this...do you really _want_ to...?"

"Master of Saber." Archer crossed his arms and looked at her with a frown. "A Servant is a tool. My wishes should have no bearing whatsoever on this situation."

It was so similar to what Saber had told her, Sakura couldn't help but glance at her Servant out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't meet Saber's gaze for more than a second, though, before returning her attention to Archer. "Even so."

"I have been summoned for the purpose of winning the Holy Grail War for my Master. This will increase our chances of victory; I could not possibly be opposed to it."

Sakura frowned. "That's not an answer."

"Isn't it?" Archer shook his head. "Then consider this. Your well-being is of great importance to Rin. If I can help you, then I have no reason whatsoever to hesitate."

"Archer. My Master is asking about you - not Rin."

"Saber. You are the last person who should be talking about a Servant's desires."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing in particular."

Saber maintained her glare for a moment longer, then looked away. "It is important to Sakura."

"And now, you're using my own lines against me." Archer sighed. "Fine. If it will settle this matter, let it be known that I am a heterosexual male, that I was not celibate in life, and that I find your Master quite attractive. This is hardly a chore for me." He gave Saber a flat look. "Satisfied?"

"Well, Sakura?"

Sakura had began to blush again. She stared at Archer, mouth agape. "Y-yes...that is, I..." She closed her eyes, and took a breath. "I agree with Nee-san's proposal, Archer-san."

"Very well, then." Archer pulled off his coat, and began to remove the body armor beneath. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

_It was night, now._

_At least, Shirou thought it was night. He had no sense of light or darkness, or of the passage of time, that might have led him to this belief._

_He had only the knowledge of one undeniable fact:_

_Ilya was sleeping._

_And with that fact, there came another:_

_Ilya was suffering._

_It was not related to the strain of maintaining Berserker - Shirou was familiar enough with that now to recognize it. No, this was something else. He did not know what she was seeing, what she was dreaming, but even so, he could tell. Whatever it was, it was deeply distressing to her._

_Shirou was still in ever-growing pain - his body still in a state of living death, his Magic Circuits still constantly breaking and re-breaking - but that did not matter to him. He'd grown used to it._

_Instead, through the link they shared, he watched Ilya._

_Now, the girl awoke again with a start. Her eyes flew open, and her body tensed; she stared at nothing for a moment before scowling and forcing herself to relax, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep once more._

_But he could see it. Seeing without seeing, Shirou "saw" it - the tightening of her jaw, the grinding of her teeth, the burning around her eyes as she suppressed her tears with sheer force of will._

_This was a regular occurrence for her. Shirou had witnessed it time after time. And each time, he felt an ever-mounting, impotent frustration._

_He couldn't help her._

_Shirou had always wanted to be an ally of justice - a hero. Kiritsugu had given him the term, but even before then, it had been his goal. "Hero" was just a convenient label for the wish he had always nurtured._

_His dream was not to create a world without conflicts. He was not that ambitious. The only thing he had ever wanted was for those in his view not to cry._

_Now, though, only one person was in his view._

_And that person never _stopped _crying._

_The fact that this person was the Master of Berserker was irrelevant. It didn't matter to Shirou what she had done to him. That was something he didn't care about._

_He realized that this was "off." He'd been told so often enough, if not in so many words. Fuji-Nee, Neko-san, Issei, Mitsuzuri - every one of them had expressed their worries about him at one time or another, in varying forms, and Shirou knew their concerns._

_Even if he didn't care, he knew...though it wasn't until now that he fully understood. The fact that he could worry so much about a girl who had only killed and then tortured him drove the point home in a way that was undeniable._

_He still didn't care, though._

_Ten years ago, he had died in the great fire. Everything but his body had been burned away, and the person he was before then had, for all intents and purposes, ceased to exist. When Kiritsugu found him that day, Shirou had been a blank slate._

_At that time, the first thing Shirou had received from Kiritsugu was admiration. It was happiness at the idea that there was someone there to save him._

_That was his core. That thought was the root of "Emiya Shirou." Everything else was built upon that foundation._

_But there, Shirou realized, was the difference. It was a small distinction, so minute it was almost impossible to detect...but it changed everything._

_The cause of his joy had been that someone was there to save him._

_It was _not _the fact that he himself had been saved._

_His own well-being had not been important to him, then. Nor had it been important to him on any day since._

_Nor was it important to him now._

_Where others would, in deciding on a course of action, first think of themselves, for Shirou, he himself never even entered into the equation._

_Compare a person's mind to a royal court. It is filled with ministers, with courtiers, each with their own functions and their own priorities, jockeying for influence. And reigning over them all is the king - that person himself, ruling everything and valued before all else._

_But that was not the case for Shirou. Ever since that day, the throne in his mind had been empty._

_Empty...until now._

_Now, a girl sat there._

_A family he'd never known that he had. A sister, baring her teeth to the world, but screaming in the darkness where no one else could ever know._

_And more than anything else, Shirou wanted to save her._

_No - he _would _save her._

_It was impossible. He knew that. She had never asked or wished for his help, and even more than that, Shirou understood the state he was now in._

_But he didn't care._

_It was an absolute, predestined fact: Emiya Shirou would save Ilyasviel von Einzbern._

_He just didn't know how, yet._

_INVENTA AUTEM UNA PRETIOSA MARGARITA  
ABIIT ET VENDIDIT OMNIA QUAE HABUIT ET EMIT EAM_


End file.
